Russian cyclist Astashov captures gold at Tokyo Paralympics

Russian cyclist Mikhail Astashov has won gold in men’s C1 3,000m individual pursuit final event at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Earlier on Thursday, he set a world record in the qualifying event covering the distance in 3:35.954. In the final event, he overtook Canada's Tristen Chernove.

The 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Japan’s Tokyo are being held between August 24 and September 5, 2021. In March 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced their decision to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Japan for one year due to the continuous COVID-19 spread.

Russian athletes are competing in the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo under the flag and logo of the Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) instead of the Russian national flag and state emblem.