Hideki Uda's eyes welled with tears after he became the first Japanese to win a medal in the Paralympic triathlon by taking the silver medal on Saturday in the men's PTS4 category in the triathlon for athletes with motor function impairments.
In 2013, Uda's right arm was caught in a conveyor belt while working at a construction company in Shiga Prefecture and he lost his dominant arm. The accident occurred five days after he had registered his marriage.
However, he was greatly supported by his positive wife, Aki. Uda was athletic and devoted himself to soccer at Kansai Gaidai University. After the accident, he and his wife discussed the possibility of participating in the Paralympics, and Uda started swimming as part of his rehabilitation, which led him to take up the triathlon.
Uda won the Asia Triathlon Championships two years after the accident.
In the race on Saturday, he placed eighth in the swimming leg, but remained positive.
"This is my usual style," Uda said. "I won't give up until the end."
Uda then moved into third place on the 20-kilometer cycling section. On the 5-kilometer run, he passed a Spanish athlete who had started running 30 seconds ahead of him and took the silver medal.
Uda, 34, became a hero and made history with his positive mindset.
After the competition, Uda expressed gratitude to his 38-year-old wife, saying, "She's been the closest person to me, watching me through all the hard times.
"I've faced many hardships since I lost my right arm, but things turned out well," Uda said with a smile as he wiped away tears. "I'm very happy now."
-- Model motivation moves Yoneoka
Satoru Yoneoka, in his first Paralympic appearance, clinched the bronze medal in the men's PTVI class for the visually impaired with his eagerness for a medal.
He finished only nine seconds behind the silver medalist. Yoneoka tenaciously chased after the second-place finisher until the final home stretch. After he and his guide, Kohei Tsubaki, crossed the finish line, they hugged each other.
"I'm just so happy," 35-year-old Yoneoka said. "When running, I was thinking about a medal the whole time."
In the triathlon event for the visually impaired, athletes swim, bike and run with guides.
Yoneoka came in second in the swimming leg. "I was in a better position than I thought I'd be," he said.
Yoneoka started the running section, which is his strength, in fourth place after cycling five kilometers on a tandem. He started the run strong and at one point was in second place. One athlete managed to pass him, but Yoneoka hung on until the end.
At the age of 10, Yoneoka developed a detached retina. He had been away from sports for a while, but started running when he was around 20. After almost completely losing his sight at 25, he took up the marathon and then the triathlon.
Yoneoka stood on the podium together with Tsubaki and put the bronze medal around his guide's neck. Tsubaki himself had aimed to compete in the able-bodied triathlon at the Tokyo Olympics.
"We reached this point together, and it became the best Games," Tsubaki said.
"He is a passionate person," Yoneoka said of Tsubaki.
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