Miles Krajewski competes in badminton at the Parapan American Games Lima 2019 on Aug. 29, 2019 in Lima, Peru.
It may be hard to believe, but the long-awaited Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 are now just 100 days away.
The Paralympic program for 2020 was confirmed way back in January 2015, so if you’ve forgotten what’s new at this year’s Games, you’re not likely to be alone. In addition to two new sports, there’s changes and additions to the events in other sports that fans will want to catch up on before the lighting of the torch on Aug. 24, 2021.
Here’s a look at what’s new and different for Tokyo.
New Sports
The process for selecting new sports for the 2020 Paralympic program began back in November 2013, when the International Paralympic Committee began evaluating candidates. Just over one year later, Para badminton and Para taekwondo emerged from the field to earn inclusion on the Paralympic Games program for the first time.
Para badminton has been contested on an international level since the 1990s and held its first world championships in 1998. Athletes compete in six different classes, and medals are awarded in men’s, women’s, doubles and mixed doubles.
Teams from Asia are among the strongest in the world, with China winning the most medals at the most recent world championships in 2019. Team USA’s Katherine Valli won a bronze medal that year in singles SS6 and a silver medal in doubles SS6, while Miles Krajewski, as a 14-year-old,…
