TOKYO - After winning gold four years ago in Beijing, Japanese Para cross-country skier Taiki Kawayoke has adopted a new game plan as he targets a return to the top of the podium at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics, opening Friday.

The Toyama Prefecture native emerged as a star at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics, his second games, when he won gold in the men's 20-kilometer classic standing cross-country skiing event.

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