Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games end with closing ceremony

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) - The 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Japan came to an end on Sunday after 12 days of action.

During the closing ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, Turkish shooter Aysegul Pehlivanlar, who won a silver in P2 women's 10m Air Pistol event, carried the Turkish flag to the center of the field.

The Paralympic athletes remaining in Tokyo after their competitions came to the field and participated in the closing event. The Games had begun on Aug. 24 without a live audience due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Olympic Stadium also hosted a colorful show of fireworks, concerts, and parades while the ceremony was completed after the Olympic flame was extinguished.

- Turkey ends Paralympics with 15 medals

The 87 athletes in 13 branches who participated on behalf of Turkey won a total of 15 medals, including two gold, four silver, and nine bronze.

Breaking the national record in medals won, the Turkish Paralympic team finished 42nd in the international rankings.

The Turkish team had gotten a gold, five silver, and four bronze medals in the London 2012 Games.

China dominated the list with a total of 207 medals, including 96 gold, 60 silver, and 51 bronze. Collecting 41 gold, 38 silver, and 45 bronze medals, the UK was second.

In third place came the US, leaving the event with 37 gold, 36 silver, and 31 bronze on the medal's table.

The Russian Olympic Committee, which competed instead of Russia in the 2020 Games as the country was banned from the events due to a recent doping scandal, won 36 gold, 33 silver, and 49 bronze medals.