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Summary Japan beat China 1-0 to claim the women's goalball gold medal at the Copper box on Friday.
Akiko Adachi scored the all-important goal in the final.China were the silver medallists last time out and were looking to go one better but Japan managed to shut them out and claim the title.We have been practising to compete against China in the final, so our dream came true and we got the gold medal, which is great, said Japan coach Naoki Eguro.Chinese player Wang Ruixue said: Nothing really went wrong. Japans defence was just too good.Its a pity that we lost. But it has been a good experience for us. Japans defence is really good. We will try to learn about that from their games when we get back home.She said the team would stay for the Games closing ceremony before heading home to China.The sport is one of the few at the Paralympics that has no equivalent in the Olympics.Requiring lightning reflexes and sharp hearing, goalball is played before a silent crowd, allowing the three players aside to hear the ball, which rattles as it rolls.Games consist of two halves of 12 minutes, with players wearing blackout masks on court to ensure fairness.The attacking side rolls the ball towards the opposite goal, with the defending team diving and laying flat sideways, at full stretch, to keep the ball out.Sweden won the bronze after beating neighbours Finland 5-1 to claim their first goalball medal for 12 years.Sophia Naesstrom scored twice. She gave away the penalty that allowed Japan to score in the semi-final and also hit the post with her sudden-death extra throw that took Japan into the final.In the mens competition, Finland face Brazil in a final few would have predicted.It will be Brazils first mens Paralympic goalball medal, while Finland are aiming to become champions for the first time since Atlanta 1996.Turkey face world champions Lithuania for the bronze.
