Japan celebrated a historic victory at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, claiming their first-ever gold medal in men’s goalball. The thrilling match against Ukraine went into extra time before Sano Yuto scored the golden goal, sealing a 4-3 victory for the Japanese team. This triumph marked a significant improvement for Japan, who finished fifth at their home Games three years ago.
The match saw a back-and-forth battle, with Japan initially taking a 2-0 lead within the first three minutes through goals from Kazuya Kaneko and Koji Miyajiki. Ukraine, however, fought back, leveling the score before halftime with goals from Anton Strelchyk and Vasyl Oliinyk. Japan regained the lead in the second half, but a late goal from Strelchyk forced the match into extra time. It was there, under the pressure of the final moments, that Yuto’s golden goal brought Japan the victory and a moment of history.
Meanwhile, the Turkish women’s goalball team continued their reign of dominance, securing their third consecutive gold medal at the Paralympics. They achieved a commanding 8-3 win over Israel in the final, with Sevda Altunoluk leading the charge with four goals in the match. Altunoluk, a triple Paralympic champion, expressed her elation, stating, “Three finals, three championships, three gold medals. I can’t explain my feelings because I am so happy and the feeling is so deep.”
The Turkish team’s dominance was evident from the start, with Altunoluk and Fatma Gul Guler scoring within the first two minutes. Although Israel managed to close the gap briefly, Turkey’s superior play, including a team penalty converted by Guler, ensured their victory. In the bronze medal matches, China’s women’s team defeated Brazil 6-0, while Brazil’s men’s team took home the bronze medal, defeating China 5-3.
