Germany’s ‘Blade Jumper’ leaps into competition at Tokyo Paralympics

TOKYO – A German long jumper who leaps further than his Olympic counterparts and a US swimmer who survived a bomb detonated by her parents are among the stars competing at the Tokyo Paralympics on Wednesday.

Markus Rehm, known as the “Blade Jumper”, is eyeing his fourth Paralympic gold and third straight victory in the long jump T64.

He has said he wants to “attack” his own world record, which he set in June with a jump of 8.62m that would have won gold at every Olympics since 1992.

There are 43 medals up for grabs on Wednesday, and badminton is appearing for the first time, as one of two Paralympic sports making their debut in Tokyo.

And with the Games entering the final stretch before Sunday’s closing ceremony,…