Paralympics: Japan skier Kawayoke alters game plan in pursuit of gold

From Kyodo

March 3 2026

TOKYO – After winning gold four years ago in Beijing, Japanese Para cross-country skier Taiki Kawayoke has adopted a new game plan as he targets a return to the top of the podium at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics, opening Friday.

The Toyama Prefecture native emerged as a star at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics, his second games, when he won gold in the men’s 20-kilometer classic standing cross-country skiing event.

“I think the high level of anticipation will make it exciting,” the 25-year-old told Kyodo News in a recent interview. “I want to show I can win consecutive medals.”

Born with multiple limb impairments, Kawayoke competes in stand skiing without ski poles, testing his balance and strength.

After building momentum toward his Paralympics campaign, Kawayoke’s results stalled last season as he reached the podium just once during World Cup events, prompting him to change his approach.

Seeking to reverse his trajectory, Kawayoke has shifted from long sessions on the snow to high-intensity skiing and high-altitude training.

“My peers are getting tougher. If I go into the games with my performance from last season, I’m not going to be able to defend my title,” Kawayoke said.

Head Coach Kazutoshi Nagahama, a former Japanese Olympic cross-country skier, said Kawayoke “is extremely pumped up, feeling he can’t keep things as they are.”

The new approach has led to improved results. In December, he came second at a World Cup free sprint event, a discipline in which he has not typically excelled, and the skier says he feels stronger.

“Definitely more than last season, I feel like I can hang in there longer in the later stages,” he said. “I feel a responsibility in leading (the Japan representatives) technically.”

He has also been exchanging ideas with senior athletes, including Yoshihiro Nitta, who is set to become an eight-time Paralympian and inspired Kawayoke to pursue the sport.

With the previous 20 km race split at this Paralympics into two events — the 10 km classic standing event and the sprint classic — Kawayoke has more medal opportunities.

“I’m going to work hard to increase my chances. If I can, I want to bring back multiple medals,” he said.