Category: Paralympics

Mayumi Narita, one of Japan’s most accomplished para swimmers and a six-time Paralympian, died Friday at the age of 55 after battling intrahepatic bile duct cancer, the Japanese Para Swimming Federation said. Born in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Narita became a wheelchair user in her teens due to transverse myelitis and later a traffic accident, but went on to dominate the Paralympic stage, winning 15 gold medals and 20 overall between 1996 and 2004. She was named Best Female Athlete by the International Paralympic Committee in 2005, retired after the 2008 Beijing Games, and later contributed to Tokyo’s successful bid for the 2020 Games before making a remarkable comeback to compete in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 at age 51. Known for her resilience and innovation, she continued training despite pandemic restrictions and had planned to remain active in the sport at her home club, the Yokohama Sakura Swimming School.

The Japanese Para Swimming Federation announced Friday that Mayumi Narita, one of Japan’s most celebrated para swimmers, has died at the age of 55 after an illness. A native of Kanagawa Prefecture, Narita competed in four consecutive Paralympic Games from Atlanta in 1996 to Beijing in 2008 before returning in 2015 to race at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021. Excelling in freestyle and backstroke, she became a dominant figure in global para swimming and retired following the Tokyo Games.

Junichi Kawai, a Paralympic gold medalist in swimming and chairman of the Japanese Paralympic Committee, is seen as a candidate for the next commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, sources said Saturday. Kawai, 50, would succeed current Commissioner Koji Murofushi, 50, who will reach the end of his term at the end of September.