Paris 2024 Paralympics: Japan defeat USA in wheelchair rugby to take gold

Japan completed a perfect tournament. They won all five of their matches and defeated the Americans in the final. The Champ-de-Mars arena was packed to the rafters for a closely contested match that ended with Japan winning 48-41.

It was the match everyone had been waiting for. It was the second time Japan and the USA had faced each other, having met in the group stage. History repeated itself as Japan, who had won 45-42 earlier in the day, defeated the Americans once again.

Japan won the wheelchair rugby gold medal to complete an unbeaten run of five matches at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The Champ-de-Mars Arena was packed with fans eager to see another showdown between the two top teams. The crowd enjoyed the spectacle, but only the Japanese were left smiling at the end. Top scorers for Japan in the gold medal match were the stalwart Ike Yukinobu with 16 points, rising star Hashimoto Katsuya with 19 points and legend Ikezaki Daisuke with six points.

Japan and USA: A Tight Final Between the Two Favourites in Paris. GETTY IMAGES

The gold medal match was a chance for revenge for Team USA, and they could not afford to miss out on this opportunity on the big stage. The game started with the rivals taking a three-point lead, 14-11, after the first quarter. Japan picked up the pace in the second quarter with a four-point run to take a 24-23 lead into the break, according to the official Paris 2024 website.

Japan extended their lead in the third quarter as the USA ran out of timeouts. Japan ended the quarter with a 35-32 lead. The final quarter saw a repeat of the USA's decline, with their turnover count rising to nine. Japan found their rhythm and extended their lead to 48-41 to take the gold medal.

Sarah Adam, the first female player to compete with the USA wheelchair rugby team. GETTY IMAGES

Japan had previously won bronze at Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016. Team USA were silver medallists at both Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016. In this rematch, Japan finally secured the gold that had eluded them.

Top scorers for Team USA were Chuck Aoki and Sarah Adam, both with 14 points, while Josh Wheeler added seven. Adam proved to be a key player in Paris, becoming the first female player to represent the USA wheelchair rugby team at a Paralympic Games.

The silver medal also makes Aoki the most decorated wheelchair rugby player in USA history, with three silvers and one bronze. London 2012 and Rio 2016 champions Australia beat Great Britain 50-48 in an earlier match to claim the bronze medal.