Takuro Yamada
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native name | 山田 拓朗 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Japanese | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 12 April 1991 Sanda, Hyōgo, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability | Congenital left forearm deficiency | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle, individual medley | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | NTT Docomo | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Takuro Yamada (山田 拓朗, Yamada Takuro; born 12 April 1991) is a Japanese former Paralympic swimmer who competed mainly in freestyle and individual medley events. He represented Japan at five consecutive Paralympic Games from 2004 to 2020 and won a bronze medal in the men's 50 metre freestyle S9 at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.[1][2][3]
Early life and education
Yamada was born in Sanda, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and later resided in Tokyo. He graduated from Hokusetu Sanda High School and the University of Tsukuba.[4][5]
He was born with a congenital absence of his left forearm and began swimming at the age of three.[6]
Career
Yamada made his Paralympic debut at the 2004 Summer Paralympics at the age of 13.[6]
At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, he competed in the 100 metre freestyle and 50 metre freestyle events.[7] He won the bronze medal in the men's 50 metre freestyle S9.
He also won a bronze medal in the 100 metre freestyle S9 at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban.[8]
Yamada continued competing through the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. Persistent shoulder and lower back pain led him to announce his retirement in 2023. His final race took place on 18 September 2023 at the Japan Para Swimming Championships held at Yokohama International Pool.[9]
Classification
Yamada competed in the following classifications:
| Stroke | Classification |
|---|---|
| Freestyle | S9 |
| Backstroke | S9 |
| Butterfly | S9 |
| Breaststroke | SB8 |
| Individual medley | SM9 |
References
- ^ "Takuro Yamada" (in Japanese). Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center. 21 May 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ "Takuro Yamada - Swimming". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ^ "[INTERVIEW 02] Takuro YAMADA | ISSUE 02". GO Journal. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ^ "Rio 2016 Paralympics (Athletes connected to Sanda City)" (in Japanese). Sanda City. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ Hirano Sugako (5 December 2016). "Attendance at Disability Festival 2016" (in Japanese). Sanda City Assembly. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Introducing Young Athletes: Takuro Yamada" (in Japanese). NTT Docomo Style'20. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ "Rio de Janeiro Paralympics Japanese Team Recommendation Athletes" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Para-Swimming Federation. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
- ^ "2006 IPC Swimming World Championships Durban/RSA Results" (PDF). Retrieved 26 February 2026.
- ^ Yūki Kanemura (2 October 2023). "Takuro Yamada retires after changing the environment of para swimming". Tokyo Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 February 2024.
External links
- Takuro Yamada – Nippon Foundation Paralympic Support Center
- Takuro Yamada – International Paralympic Committee