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Japanese female Para triathlete Wakako Tsuchida punches the air as she crosses the finish line

Wakako Tsuchida

Japanese flag
Japan
Triathlon | Athletics | Ice Sledge Racing
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Two-time Asian champion Wakako Tsuchida had a stellar 2018 season and appears on target to star in her home Paralympic Games at Tokyo 2020. She was a minute shy of gold at the 2018 World Triathlon Grand Final in Gold Coast, Australia. But with more training, she might give her home crowd in Tokyo reason to rejoice.

This year alone, Tsuchida won the Asian Championship title as well as the Tokyo World Cup, which acted as a Test Event for the 2020 Paralympics. She finished runner-up at the World Para Triathlon Series in Montreal, Canada, behind Australia’s Emily Tapp – the very person to oust her for the world title last September. 

The Japanese athlete reached the podium in every competition she raced in 2018, which was her first complete season in the sport. A medal at Gold Coast 2018 made up for her ‘Did Not Start’ at the 2017 edition.

Tsuchida does have experience on her side. She has competed at both Summer and Winter Paralympics, as well as World Major Marathons. She captured three Paralympic medals in wheelchair racing, including gold in the 5,000m T54 at Athens 2004. She also competed in ice sledge speed skating, winning two titles at her home Games in Nagano 1998.

Tsuchida lost both legs above the knee due to a traffic accident in 1992 and began playing Para sports during her rehabilitation.

Photo Gallery

a female Para triathlete in a wheelchair raises her arm as she breaks the finish line tape

Results

Unit Date Rank
Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games (Sydney, Australia)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 800 m T54 Heat 1 3
Women's 800 m T54 Final Round 9999
Women's 1500 m T54 Heat 1 3
Women's 1500 m T54 Final Round 6
Women's 5000 m T54 Final Round 4
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 3
Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (Athens, Greece)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 2
Women's 5000 m T54 Final Round 1
Women's 5000 m T54 Heat 1 1
Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Winter Games (Lillehammer, Norway)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 100 m LW10-11 Final Round 5
Women's 500 m LW10-11 Final Round 5
Women's 700 m LW10-11 Final Round 5
Women's 1000 m LW10-11 Final Round 6
Nagano 1998 Paralympic Winter Games (Nagano, Japan)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 100 m LW11 Final Round 2
Women's 500 m LW11 Final Round 2
Women's 1000 m LW11 Final Round 1
Women's 1500 m LW11 Final Round 1
IPC Athletics World Championships Villeneuve d'Ascq 2002 (Villeneuve d'Ascq, France)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 5000 m T54 Final Round 4
Women's 800 m T54 Heat 1 2
Women's 800 m T54 Final Round 8
Women's 1500 m T54 Heat 1 4
Women's 1500 m T54 Final Round 4
2011 IPC Athletics World Championships (Christchurch, New Zealand)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 5000 m T53/54 Final 2011-01-22 4
Women's 1500 m T53/54 Heat 2 2011-01-26 3
Women's 1500 m T53/54 Final 2011-01-28 3
Women's Marathon T53/54 Final 2011-01-30 1
London 2012 Paralympic Games (London, Great Britain)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 5000 m T54 Heat 2 2012-08-31 3
Women's 5000 m T54 Final Round 2012-09-02 6
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 2012-09-09 5
IPC Athletics World Championships (Lyon, France)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's 5000 m T54 Semifinal 1 2013-07-20 9
Women's 5000 m T54 Final 1 2013-07-21 6
Women's 1500 m T54 Semifinal 2 2013-07-24 9
Women's 1500 m T54 Final 1 2013-07-25 2
Women's Marathon T54 Final 1 2013-07-28 1
Rio 2016 Paralympic Games (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's Marathon T54 Final Round 2016-09-18 4
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (Tokyo, Japan)
Event Medal Unit Date Rank
Women's Individual PTWC Final 2021-08-29 9
Women's Marathon T54 Final 2021-09-05 4

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