TOKYO, September 2. /TASS/. Russian swimmer Vyacheslav Yemelyantsev won silver on Thursday at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo in the men’s 100-meter backstroke S14 classification competition.

Yemelyantsev clocked the distance in 59.05 seconds to take the silver. The gold went to Australia’s Benjamin James Hance, who set a new Paralympic Record of 57.73 seconds, while the bronze was packed by Reece Dunn of Great Britain (59.97 seconds).

Yemelyantsev is 27 years old and he is a four-time world champion in addition to his three silver medals of the European championships. He started practicing sports in 2000 in the Russian Urals city of Yekaterinburg and also tried his skills in figure skating.

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 32 gold, 22 silver and 40 bronze medals. Team RPC is currently 3rd in the overall medal count following China (76-45-43), and Great Britain (33-27-34).

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.