PARALYMPIAN hero Andy Lewis has hit out at the International Paralympic Committee after killing his dream of defending his title in Tokyo.

The IPC have made the decision to drop Lydney man Lewis’ category of Paratriathlon from the programme of events at the 2020 Paralympic Games.

Lewis said he was gutted but vowed to double down on his efforts in sport, including a venture into the Iron Man arena.

“My category, PT2, is not going to Tokyo,” he said in a video statement on his Facebook page.

“We are still looking at options at the moment but ultimately I’m bitterly disappointed.

“I think for me the hardest pill to swallow is that I’m not able to go and try and defend my gold medal.

“I think it’s a wrong decision; if you look at the categories and the classes I think mine is a very strong and competitive class.

“But I do not want my future decided by anyone in a board room. I should be able to decide my future on my performance. I think that’s the key and the one thing the IPC have got wrong here."