For Japanese amputee athletes Maya Nakanishi and Saki Takakuwa, the simple act of lining up to participate might have been more meaningful than it was for the other participants this weekend.
Nakanishi and Takakuwa competed with able-bodied athletes in the women's long jump at the Golden Grand Prix meet in Kawasaki's Todoroki Stadium on Sunday.
"I'm so grateful that I was able to compete on this stage," said Takakuwa, who finished second behind Nakanishi in the women's T44 class with a 4.84-meter jump. "I got a different feeling than what we feel in events for (Paralympic) athletes."