Hidefumi Wakayama
| Date of birth | January 3, 1985 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Wheelchair rugby player | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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Hidefumi Wakayama (乗松 聖矢, Wakayama Hidefumi, born January 3, 1985) is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player who currently plays for Shizuoka Bank/CENTERPOLE and the Japanese national team.
Background and career
At the age of 19, Wakayama injured his spine in a swimming pool accident and began playing wheelchair rugby at a rehabilitation facility.[1] He was later selected to represent Japan in the London and Rio Paralympics, and contributed to Japan's first medal win at the latter.
In 2021, Wakayama was selected as a recommended player for the Japanese national team for the 2020 Summer Paralympics and won a bronze medal.[2][3] In 2024, he was again selected as a recommended athlete for the Japanese national team for the 2024 Summer Paralympics, with whom he won a gold medal.[4][5]
References
- ^ "車いすラグビー 若山 英史" (in Japanese). NHK. 25 June 2021.
- ^ "東京2020パラリンピック競技大会日本代表推薦選手について JWRF 一般社団法人 日本車いすラグビー連盟" (in Japanese). 日本車いすラグビー連盟. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ "【東京パラリンピック】「日本ラグビー」で2大会連続銅メダル！ 池主将のリーダーシップと仲間たち" (in Japanese). ラグビー共和国. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ "Japan beats U.S. to clinch first Paralympics wheelchair rugby gold". Japan Today. 3 September 2024.
- ^ Close, David (2 September 2024). "Japan defeats USA to win wheelchair rugby gold at Paris Paralympics". CNN.