The largest repair service center in the history of the Paralympics awaits to support athletes when the Games open in Tokyo on Aug. 24.
A record number of 4,400 Paralympic athletes from about 170 countries and regions are set to participate in the Games.
Ottobock, a German manufacturer of medical and welfare equipment, operates the repair center, which opened Sunday.
The facility is set up to provide free repair and maintenance services for wheelchairs, prosthetics and other equipment so athletes can be in perfect condition to concentrate on competition.
The 700-square-meter building erected in the village is furnished with welding equipment and special workbenches on which to make repairs.
About 17,300 spare components, including tires and replacement parts, are also available.
The repair service center was introduced at the 1988 Seoul Olympics with a staff of four. It has expanded over time, in line with the size of the Paralympic Games.
The service center at the Tokyo Games is expected to have prosthetists and technicians among about 100 staffers from 23 countries and regions, including Japan. The staff will work in two shifts and be available at the center in the village as well as at booths set up at 14 locations, including National Stadium.
The center is expected to handle about 2,000 service requests through the final day of competition. To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the total number of athletes and officials allowed to wait at any one time at the center will be capped at 20.
An Ottobock wheelchair engineer who is working at his fifth Paralympic Games over summer and winter competitions, expressed his thoughts as a person behind the scenes supporting the Paralympics.
"We want to eliminate anxiety about equipment so that athletes can concentrate on performing. I hope that [repairs and maintenance] will result in the athletes putting on their best performances."
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