The Japanese team is aiming to win 39 medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games–11 golds and 14 silver and bronze medals.
It will be difficult for the Japanese team to top the number of medals it won in Athens in 2004 because events at the Paralympics have decreased.
Japanese athletes won a record 52 medals in Athens–17 golds, 15 silvers and 20 bronzes.
After the Athens Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) reduced the number of events that had a small number of participants. Most of these events were designed for athletes with severe disabilities. The IPC stated it made the decision to enhance the value of the medals.
At the Beijing Paralympics, 472 events will be held, an about 10-percent decrease from the number held at the Athens Paralympics. The decrease in the number of events is expected to be a heavy blow to the Japanese team, which has done well in events for severely handicapped athletes.
Paralympics participants have various disabilities, including amputated limbs, neurological disorders and vision impairment. The degree of participants’ disabilities differs widely. To ensure fairness, the IPC classifies athletes according to their specific disabilities and the severity of the disability. For example, participants were grouped into 13 classes in the men’s 100-meter freestyle swimming event at the Athens Paralympics, and 13 different swimmers won gold.
source: yomiuri.co.jp
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