TOKYO, September 1. /TASS/. Russia’s Para cycling racer Ruslan Kuznetsov won the 2020 Summer Paralympics gold in the men’s road race H3 classification competition.

The athlete from Russia cleared the distance of 79.2 kilometers with the result of 2 hours 34 minutes 35 seconds. The silver was coined by Switzerland’s Heinz Frei (2 hours 34 minutes 35 seconds) and the bronze went to Walter Ablinger of Austria (2 hours 35 minutes 06 seconds).

Kuznetsov is 30 years old and he is the bronze medal winner of the World Cup series in addition to being a multiple-time winner of the Russian championships.

The 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Japan’s Tokyo are being held between August 24 and September 5, 2021. In March 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced their decision to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Japan for one year due to the continuous COVID-19 spread.

As of today, the Russian national team of Para athletes in Tokyo - participating as Team RPC (the Russian Paralympic Committee) due to international sanctions against Russian sports - boasts 31 gold, 20 silver and 37 bronze medals. Team RPC is currently 2nd in the overall medal count following China (68-43-36). Team Great Britain is in 3rd place (30-24-32) of the medal standings.

Team RPC at 2020 Summer Paralympics in Japan

The team of national athletes from Russia at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Japan includes 242 athletes, while the overall number of the RPC delegation in Tokyo stands at 432 people. The selected Paralympians from Russia are fighting for medals in 19 out of the 22 sports competitions, on the program of the quadrennial event.

Russian athletes are competing in the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo under the flag and logo of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) instead of the Russian national flag and state emblem.

The national anthem of Russia is also under sanctions at the Paralympics in Japan. The First Piano Concerto by Pyotr Tchaikovsky was selected to be played at awarding ceremonies for Russian Paralympians in Tokyo.