https://www.scmp.com/rss/511995/feed The Winter Paralympic Games 2022, held in Beijing, China, are scheduled to take place from March 4 to 13. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The most successful athlete at the Beijing Winter Paralympics has questioned whether its legacy has been wasted when it comes to China’s skiers. Norwegian Jesper Saltvik Pedersen, who won four golds and a silver at the 2022 event, said he had not seen a single Chinese competitor on the World Para Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit this year. On Saturday, the country reported it had achieved a surplus of 350 million yuan (US$52 million) from its organisational budget for the Winter Olympics and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3219837/most-successful-beijing-winter-paralympics-athlete-pedersen-fears-china-has-wasted-legacy-2022-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3219837/most-successful-beijing-winter-paralympics-athlete-pedersen-fears-china-has-wasted-legacy-2022-games?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 May 2023 23:00:11 +0000 After winning the BISFED Bahrain World Cup on Saturday, Hong Kong boccia No 1 Leung Yuk-wing has set his sights on another world title in Rio next month. Double Tokyo Paralympics medallist Leung, 37, kept up his fine form in Riffa, where he finished with one gold medal (BC4 individual) and a silver in the mixed pairs with partner Vivian Lau Wai-yan. With the Paris 2024 qualifying cycle beginning this year and the separation of male and female events since Tokyo, Hong Kong’s three-time Paralympic... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3199462/hong-kong-boccia-no-1-leung-yuk-wing-sets-his-sights-world-title-rio-after-more-medals-bahrain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3199462/hong-kong-boccia-no-1-leung-yuk-wing-sets-his-sights-world-title-rio-after-more-medals-bahrain?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Nov 2022 11:11:43 +0000 China have emerged as a new Winter Paralympics powerhouse at their own Beijing Games, topping the medals table in a stunning success backed by huge investment and aided by the absence of Russian athletes. The hosts finished proudly top of the table on Sunday with 18 golds and 61 medals in all – a remarkable rise given that they only made their Winter Paralympics debut in 2002 and it was not until Pyeongchang, four years ago, that they won their first medal, a gold in wheelchair curling. “The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3170297/winter-paralympics-stunning-success-makes-china-games-powerhouse-tops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3170297/winter-paralympics-stunning-success-makes-china-games-powerhouse-tops?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Mar 2022 09:30:24 +0000 China’s winter sports industry is basking in the afterglow of the country’s successful hosting of the Winter Olympics last month. The number of people who have taken to ski slopes and skating rinks, inspired by the spectacle of medal-winning skills they had observed in Beijing, has far exceeded the government’s wildest forecasts Up to 346 million people are taking part in winter sports, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, surpassing the 300 million target set by President Xi Jinping... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3170270/chinas-winter-sports-scene-booms-eileen-gus-olympic-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3170270/chinas-winter-sports-scene-booms-eileen-gus-olympic-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Mar 2022 02:00:31 +0000 Defending champion China bagged the wheelchair curling gold at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics Winter Games on Saturday after defeating Sweden 8-3 at the National Aquatics Centre. On a day that saw 11 additional podium spots for China, including four gold medals, the country’s wheelchair curling team defended their title in spectacular style to take the game 8-3 after just seven ends. After China took an early lead, Sweden managed to capitalise on a mistake and level the scoring, but Haitao Wang... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3170234/winter-paralympics-canadian-skier-brian-mckeever-makes-history-16th?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3170234/winter-paralympics-canadian-skier-brian-mckeever-makes-history-16th?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Mar 2022 04:30:20 +0000 Liu Mengtao became the first Chinese Para biathlete to win three medals at a Winter Paralympic Games, after claiming the men’s individual sitting gold on Friday in spectacular fashion. Having previously taken gold in the middle distance and bronze in the sprint, the Paralympic debutant finished first in the 12.5km race in 38 minutes and 29.4 seconds without missing a single shot in the four rounds of prone shooting. Liu clinched gold ahead of Ukraine’s Taras Rad by 44.5 seconds. The 22-year-old,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3170170/winter-paralympics-liu-mengtao-becomes-chinas-first-para-biathlete-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3170170/winter-paralympics-liu-mengtao-becomes-chinas-first-para-biathlete-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Mar 2022 10:34:24 +0000 Ukraine’s Winter Paralympics delegation wept and pumped their fists in the air in defiance of Russia’s invasion of their homeland during a moment’s silence at the Athletes’ Village in Beijing on Thursday. On day 6 of the 2022 Games – which saw medal table leader China add one bronze in the alpine skiing event – Ukraine held a solemn ceremony to call for peace, and honour their fallen countrymen and women, during a break from training commitments as well as cross-country skiing and biathlon... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169983/winter-paralympics-tearful-ukraine-team-pay-tribute-countrys-fallen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169983/winter-paralympics-tearful-ukraine-team-pay-tribute-countrys-fallen?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Mar 2022 10:28:44 +0000 China’s Para cross-country skiers continued their gold rush at the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games on Wednesday, as the host extended its lead at the top of the medal table. Zheng Peng eased to gold in the men’s sprint sitting event with a time of 2:42.40 to get things under way on day 5 at a sunny Zhangjiakou Biathlon Centre. This was the 29-year-old Putian native’s second gold medal, having won one in the men’s 15km sitting event last Sunday. Teammate Mao Zhongwu earned his second silver medal... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169857/winter-paralympics-china-secures-two-more-golds-para-cross-country?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169857/winter-paralympics-china-secures-two-more-golds-para-cross-country?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Mar 2022 12:27:23 +0000 Cross-country skiers ploughed through slushy snow wearing T-shirts on day five of the Beijing Winter Paralympics on Wednesday as spring-like weather pushed temperatures well above freezing. The warm spell caught some skiers off guard on the largely man-made snow at the Zhangjiakou cross-country event where six gold medals were up for grabs. Athletes in the Olympics last month at the same venue had battled blizzard conditions and a brutal wind chill, with some events postponed because of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169824/winter-paralympics-slushy-snow-and-t-shirts-athletes-feel-heat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169824/winter-paralympics-slushy-snow-and-t-shirts-athletes-feel-heat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Mar 2022 08:55:52 +0000 A Ukrainian biathlete withdrew from a competition at the Beijing Paralympics after her father was captured by Russian troops. Anastasiia Laletina did not race in the biathlon middle distance sitting event Tuesday after she heard her father, a soldier in the Ukrainian army was taken prisoner by Russian soldiers, team spokeswoman Nataliia Harach confirmed to USA Today on Tuesday. “They beat him,” Harach said. Laletina, 19, was tended to by a team doctor, Harach said. According to her... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169763/ukraine-invasion-paralympian-withdraws-beijing-games-after-father?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169763/ukraine-invasion-paralympian-withdraws-beijing-games-after-father?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Mar 2022 01:28:05 +0000 A sense of purpose washed over Ukrainian athletes on day 4 of the Winter Paralympics, as gold medallist Iryna Bui led a clean sweep of the podium in the women’s biathlon. “We would like to dedicate our results and medals to each and every Ukrainian and all the soldiers in the Ukrainian army who protect us,” Bui said on Russia’s invasion of her country. Paralympic debutant Liu Mengtao, 20, won China’s eighth gold with victory in the Para biathlon men’s middle distance. But Ukraine athletes took... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169707/winter-paralympics-ukraine-seals-clean-sweep-womens-biathlon-iryna-bui?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169707/winter-paralympics-ukraine-seals-clean-sweep-womens-biathlon-iryna-bui?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Mar 2022 10:21:49 +0000 China’s gold rush continued on day three of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games. The hosts made a clean sweep of Para snowboard men’s cross upper limb impaired event on Monday in an all-China, four-person final. The four finalists were making their Paralympic debut, but it was 19-year-old Ji Lijia who topped the podium at the end of an eventful run. Halfway through the race, Zhang Yiqi, who was in third position, lost balance and fell, taking his teammate Zhu Yonggang down with him. As a result,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169568/winter-paralympics-chinas-gold-rush-continues-hosts-sweep-podium-mens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169568/winter-paralympics-chinas-gold-rush-continues-hosts-sweep-podium-mens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 12:15:10 +0000 The International Paralympic Committee is demanding answers from China’s state broadcaster after an impassioned, anti-war speech by its head appeared to have been censored during the Beijing winter games opening ceremony on Friday evening. “We are aware of reports and have asked CCTV for an explanation,” an IPC spokesperson said. CCTV could not be immediately reached for comment outside office hours on Saturday. Paralympics President Andrew Parsons told the audience, which included President Xi... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169537/paralympic-body-asks-china-why-it-censored-anti-war-remarks-during?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169537/paralympic-body-asks-china-why-it-censored-anti-war-remarks-during?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 07:26:56 +0000 China’s Winter Paralympic athletes are thriving on home snow, taking their gold medal tally to six on day two of the Beijing Games on Sunday. After winning silver on day 1, Zhang Mengqiu etched her name into the history books by winning China’s first alpine skiing gold, while cross country skier Zheng Peng claimed gold in Para cross country men’s long distance sitting. Liang Jingyi took gold in the men’s Super-G standing event and Yang Hongqiong earned top honours in the women’s Para cross... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169428/winter-paralympics-zhang-mengqiu-wins-chinas-first-ever-alpine-skiing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169428/winter-paralympics-zhang-mengqiu-wins-chinas-first-ever-alpine-skiing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Mar 2022 04:23:16 +0000 Chinese Para biathletes Liu Zixu and Guo Yujie won the country’s first gold medals of the Beijing Winter Paralympics in the men’s sprint sitting and women’s sprint standing, respectively, on Saturday. The hosts got off to a super start on day one of the Games, shooting to second in the overall medal table with eight – two gold, three silver and three bronze medals. A much fired-up Ukraine leads the tally with three golds. Aside from Liu and Guo’s golds, teammates Shan Yilin won silver in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169360/winter-paralympics-china-wins-first-gold-thanks-biathlete-liu-zixu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169360/winter-paralympics-china-wins-first-gold-thanks-biathlete-liu-zixu?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Mar 2022 04:35:29 +0000 It had been less than two weeks since the closing of the Olympics when Beijing’s Bird’s Nest came together again on Friday night, lighting up for the start of the Winter Paralympics. But the world has dramatically changed in those 12 days – and International Paralympics Committee chief Andrew Parsons delivered a passionate, at times angry, speech out of step with the laid-back, simple celebrations on show inside the National Stadium. “Tonight, I must begin with a message of peace,” Parsons said.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169324/winter-paralympics-ipc-chief-andrew-parsons-calls-peace-passionate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169324/winter-paralympics-ipc-chief-andrew-parsons-calls-peace-passionate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:35:10 +0000 The Winter Paralympics officially open in Beijing on Friday evening, and like last month’s Olympics the build up has been turbulent. Covid-19 restrictions and a growing war in Ukraine have cast a shadow over the event, but athletes now have their chance to compete, and organisers are hoping the success of the Winter Games flows into the Paralympics. The opening ceremony at the Bird’s Nest Stadium will be attended by dignitaries including Chinese President Xi Jinping. The first of 78 gold medals... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169218/winter-paralympics-all-you-need-know-about-beijing-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169218/winter-paralympics-all-you-need-know-about-beijing-games?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Mar 2022 06:30:27 +0000 Team USA Nordic skier Grace Miller is tipped for a breakout performance in what will already be her second Winter Paralympics. The 22-year-old has been excitedly posting Beijing Games titbits on her social media, giving fans a glimpse of slick national team outfits, athlete’s village “smart” beds and 24/7 food supplies- but competing in the mainland holds a much deeper meaning. Born without a left forearm in Guangzhou, Miller was adopted by a single American mother at the age of three. She would... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169197/beijing-paralympics-grace-miller-china-born-us-cross-country-skier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169197/beijing-paralympics-grace-miller-china-born-us-cross-country-skier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Mar 2022 04:15:13 +0000 As the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games gets under way, the athletes, international contingents, members of media and viewers around the world will find that the Chinese hi-tech infrastructure behind last month’s Winter Olympics remains in place for the sporting events from March 4 to 13. The most prominent of these hi-tech advances are 5G mobile communications technology, China’s digital currency and cloud infrastructure services, which form part of Beijing’s efforts to promote the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3169152/how-chinese-advances-technology-5g-and-cloud-computing-e-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3169152/how-chinese-advances-technology-5g-and-cloud-computing-e-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Mar 2022 01:30:11 +0000 Guo Yujie and Wang Zhidong have been named as the Chinese delegation’s flag bearers at Friday’s opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Guo, a female para cross-country and para biathlon skier born in north China’s Hebei Province, who has upper limb disabilities, brings a significant contribution to para sports, having won three gold medals and three silvers at China’s 11th National Para Games in 2021. The 21-year-old Wang is a core player in the Chinese men’s para ice... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169068/winter-paralympics-china-name-para-cross-country-and-para-ice-hockey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169068/winter-paralympics-china-name-para-cross-country-and-para-ice-hockey?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2022 08:15:08 +0000 In a stunning reversal, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from the Winter Paralympic Games for their countries’ roles in the war in Ukraine, the International Paralympic Committee said Thursday in Beijing. The about-face comes less than 24 hours after the IPC on Wednesday announced it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete when the Games open on Friday, but only as neutral athletes with colours, flags and other national symbols removed. The IPC received immediate... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169071/winter-paralympics-russian-belarusian-athletes-kicked-out-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3169071/winter-paralympics-russian-belarusian-athletes-kicked-out-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2022 07:25:36 +0000 While still basking in the afterglow of the Beijing Winter Olympics, organisers are quickly making accessible and barrier-free modifications for the Paralympians arriving in China. The Winter Paralympics are set to open amid the long-running pandemic and in the shadow of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The event for athletes with disabilities starts on Friday and runs until March 13. The host has just 11 days between the Olympics closing ceremony and the Paralympics opening ceremony,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3168907/winter-games-beijing-organisers-deliver-paralympic-makeover-time-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3168907/winter-games-beijing-organisers-deliver-paralympic-makeover-time-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Mar 2022 05:15:12 +0000 Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete as neutrals at the 2022 Winter Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said after meeting in Beijing on Wednesday. In a statement, the IPC said athletes from both countries must compete under the Paralympic flag and will not be included in the medal table. Beijing’s Winter Paralympics open on Friday under the shadow of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and a growing list of sporting federations that have banned Russian... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168906/winter-paralympics-decision-day-russian-athletes-officials-discuss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168906/winter-paralympics-decision-day-russian-athletes-officials-discuss?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Mar 2022 05:01:35 +0000 China has confirmed its biggest-ever squad for a Paralympic Games, with a record 96 athletes looking to mirror the success of the hosts’ Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics delegation. Beijing marks China’s sixth appearance at a Winter Paralympics, which run from March 4 to 13. The Chinese delegation includes 68 male and 28 female athletes, with an average age of 25. At 45 years old, alpine skier Zhang Haiyuan is the oldest Paralympian in the delegation. She is also one of the most accomplished, having... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168808/china-confirms-record-96-athletes-beijing-winter-paralympic-games-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168808/china-confirms-record-96-athletes-beijing-winter-paralympic-games-final?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Mar 2022 10:15:18 +0000 The world’s best Paralympic athletes will gather in Beijing for the 13th Winter Games over the next two weeks and like the Winter Olympics, much of this year’s focus will shift to the rising stars looking to make their mark on history. Most of these rookie stars are first-timers and therefore are being watched with excitement, as some of them are expected to drive their respective sports in the future. We take a closer look at six rising young Para athletes to watch at the Beijing 2022... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168791/winter-paralympics-6-rising-stars-watch-out-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3168791/winter-paralympics-6-rising-stars-watch-out-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Mar 2022 08:45:20 +0000 US Olympic chiefs have thrown their support behind International Olympic Committee calls for Russian athletes to be barred from international competition following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement on Tuesday they backed the IOC’s demands for Russian athletes to be suspended, and urged the ban to include the Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing this week. “The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the USOPC Athletes Advisory... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3168785/ukraine-invasion-us-calls-russian-athletes-be-thrown-out-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3168785/ukraine-invasion-us-calls-russian-athletes-be-thrown-out-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Mar 2022 06:52:12 +0000 None of the 20 athletes from the Ukrainian Paralympic team has reached Beijing with the Games opening at the end of the week, the International Paralympic Committee said Monday. IPC spokesman Craig Spence, in an interview with Associated Press, said he was hopeful the athletes would arrive in China for Friday’s opening ceremony despite difficult logistics. He declined to disclose the team’s whereabouts, citing safety concerns and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We’re in regular dialogue with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3168643/winter-paralympics-ukraine-athletes-yet-arrive-beijing-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3168643/winter-paralympics-ukraine-athletes-yet-arrive-beijing-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Feb 2022 07:15:14 +0000 Many multi-sport athletes have graced the Summer and Winter Games throughout history, with the Paralympics being no exception. It takes years of toil and perseverance to win a spot on one of the world’s foremost sporting stages, but these athletes have managed to do it in two – or more – sports over their illustrious careers. What makes them even more remarkable is that many of them picked up their second – or in some cases third – sport midway through their careers. For some, taking a leap of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166636/winter-olympics-multi-sport-paralympics-stars-who-have-conquered-both?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3166636/winter-olympics-multi-sport-paralympics-stars-who-have-conquered-both?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Feb 2022 00:15:13 +0000