IN many ways, the Paralympic Games has unfolded like the Olympics a few weeks before: under the shadow of the pandemic, with the host city still under a state of emergency and fans barred from venues. In fact, Covid-19 cases have multiplied in Tokyo since the Olympics started.

Athletes in both events have had to cope with pandemic-induced obstacles: finding creative ways to train when facilities shut down, coping with the mental stress of training for an extra year amid questions of whether the Games would go on at all, and competing in Tokyo without family in the stands.