‘White gold’ the goal for China

Despite a late start and poor training conditions at first, China’s support of disabled winter sports athletes has been greatly boosted since the successful bid to host the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, Zhang Haidi, president of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, said.

Before the successful 2015 bid, just 50 para-athletes had registered with the federation, but the number is now over 1,000, added Zhang, who is also executive president of the committee that is organizing Beijing 2022 .

China sent a team to the Winter Paralympics for the first time in 2002, when four Paralympians competed in the cross-country and Alpine skiing disciplines.

Since 2016, Chinese athletes have participated in 59 international events featuring paralympic winter sports, claiming 38 gold medals.

At the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, China’s wheelchair curling team won the gold medal, while the para-snowboarders claimed two world titles at the World Para Snowboard Championships in 2019 in Finland.

In addition to supporting professional para-athletes, the federation has hosted winter sports festivals for people with disabilities annually since 2016 to encourage more participants.

In Hebei alone, people with disabilities have taken part in winter sports more than 300,000 times since the festivals started.

The Games will be held from March 4 to 13 next year, with top athletes competing in 78 events across six disciplines: para-Alpine skiing; para-snowboarding; paraice hockey; wheelchair curling; para-biathlon; and para-crosscountry skiing.

With preparations going full steam ahead, China aims for its para-athletes to qualify for all events, according to the federation’s sports department.

The nation’s para-athletes are vigorously preparing for the Games and they are determined to showcase the spirit of always striving to be the best, Zhang said.

The World Wheelchair Curling Championship is scheduled to be held in Beijing in October, subject to agreement between the International Paralympic Committee, the World Curling Federation and the Beijing 2022 organizers.

A final decision will be made in July, after evaluation of the COVID-19 situation and related restrictions on international travel.

Test runs for snow sports were completed in February, while those for para-ice hockey and wheelchair curling will be held next month. The trials are restricted to domestic athletes as a result of considerations related to COVID-19.

On March 20, the Games’ organizers released the latest version of the competition schedule, with the first gold up for grabs in para-Alpine downhill skiing.

The update was released following approval by the IPC, but is still subject to change as preparatory work progresses.