Morrocco’s Ayoub Sadni, center, set a new world record in the T47 400-meter final Saturday at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games on Saturday. Cassadaga Valley graduate Rayven Sample, pictured in background, was disqualified. AP photo

When the Paralympic Games began in Tokyo two weeks ago, there were 4,537 athletes scheduled to compete. Of that number, a mere handful were entered in the men’s 400 meters, T47 classification.

Rayven Sample, the Cassadaga Valley Central School graduate, was one of them.

Let that sink in for a minute.

The young man, who has captured the imagination of folks from the western Southern Tier of New York to Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and points in between, has demonstrated that he belongs on the world’s biggest stage.

In the first 400 semifinal heat on Thursday, Sample finished third in a personal-best 50.01 to advance to Saturday morning’s final. Seeded fourth, the hope was that he would be able to run in the 49s somewhere, which would have given him a shot at a medal. Unfortunately, at some point in a race conducted in driving rain Saturday morning, Sample was disqualified. Not having the benefit of talking with him, I’m only assuming that he was initially disappointed. But here’s hoping he takes the time to reflect on his remarkable journey.

Nick Spry, a Falconer/Cassadaga Valley track and field assistant coach, already has.

“Before he left, our goal was to make the finals,” Spry said Saturday morning at Bill Race Field, moments after the 400 final was live streamed on the scoreboard. “That was his realistic goal. He should be pretty happy. I’m sure he’ll be happy when he gets home.”

Sample isn’t done competing on the world stage either.

“He’ll continue to compete in the Paralympics world,” Spry said, “and then, hopefully, at the next Olympics, he’ll make an even bigger impact.

“He wants to try more 100 and 200 meters … but my personal opinion is the 400 meters is his sweet spot for that particular athlete.”

Until then, Sample and Spry can take great pride in the journey they’ve traveled in the last year.

“Not even knowing much about the para-athlete world, to all this education I’ve gotten this last year,” Spry said. “I know he’s making all sorts of friends that he doesn’t have access to here, friends who are para-athletes like him. He’s building a whole new family, a whole new community, and I think this is something he might try and stick with after his athletic career is done. It just opened all new doors for him.

“It’s just a start.”