![]() ![]() To assure competitive balance, the governing body World Para Swimming classifies swimmers into different racing divisions, according to their physical abilities. ![]() But in the year leading up to the 2016 Games, Long-whose legs were amputated just below her knees when she was 18 months old-noticed when she stepped atop the starting block that the racers up and down the line seemed more able-bodied than they had been in Athens, Beijing or London. With the motto “Spirit in Motion,” the Games have emphasized the intersection of competition and inspiration. Athletes often talk of the Paralympics-and para-sports, in general-in life-affirming terms. ![]() Among the 22 sports offered at this year’s Tokyo Games, there is perhaps no event that better exemplifies that attitude than swimming: Many athletes got their start as part of pool-rehabilitation programs that allowed them to leave prosthetics, wheelchairs and braces behind. ![]()
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