Brutal Collapse Forces Olympic Athlete Into Wheelchair at Tokyo World Championships World Championship medalist and Japan’s top medal hope, collapses in distress during the 35km race walk at the Tokyo

‘The man who started from the bottom.’ That’s how the 26-year-old Masatora Kawano’s journey to the World Althetics Championships began. The very first time Kawano participated in walk racing as a high schooler, his last finish made him believe he wasn’t cut out for the sport. But his determination was much bigger than the weight of that loss. And as he stepped into Tokyo’s iteration of the World Althetics Championships this year, he framed his outlook: “I earned the right to compete at the World Championships, but I don’t see that as the goal. It’s simply the starting line.” However, before he could succeed in his mission, he was met with an unexpected physical ailment.

The opening stages of the 35-kilometer contest suggested he remained on course. By the 27-kilometer mark, Kaw