Takurō Yamada

Takuro Yamada (山田 拓朗, Yamada Takuro; born 12 April 1991) is a Japanese former Paralympic swimmer who competed mainly in freestyle and individual medley events. He represented Japan at five consecutive Paralympic Games from 2004 to 2020 and won a bronze medal in the men's 50 metre freestyle S9 at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.

Early life and education

Yamada was born in Sanda, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and later resided in Tokyo. He graduated from Hokusetu Sanda High School and the University of Tsukuba.

He was born with a congenital absence of his left forearm and began swimming at the age of three.

Career

Yamada made his Paralympic debut at the 2004 Summer Paralympics at the age of 13. He won the bronze medal in the men's 50 metre freestyle S9.

He also won a bronze medal in the 100 metre freestyle S9 at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships in Durban.

Yamada continued competing through the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. Persistent shoulder and lower back pain led him to announce his retirement in 2023. His final race took place on 18 September 2023 at the Japan Para Swimming Championships held at Yokohama International Pool.

Classification

Yamada competed in the following classifications:

Stroke Classification Freestyle S9 Backstroke S9 Butterfly S9 Breaststroke SB8 Individual medley SM9