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 will be awarded on Saturday – day one of competition – and the closing ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 13. Like the Winter Games, the Paralympics will follow a “closed loop” system to prevent all possible contact between the outside world and the athletes, organisers, officials and media. A complicated week The Beijing 2022 Paralympics take place against a deepening crisis in Ukraine, with Russia’s invasion pushing an estimated 1 million refugees into neighbouring countries. Russia’s aggression has been met with swift sanctions from the sporting world , including the Paralympics. Earlier this week the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said it would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Beijing as neutrals. Less than 24 hours later, that decision was reversed , with the IPC admitting many athletes would refuse to compete against Russians or Belarusians. There was also concern for the Ukraine delegation, but the team of 20 athletes and nine guides arrived safely in Beijing on Wednesday. Valeriy Sushkevych, the Ukrainian Paralympic chief, described their arrival as a miracle. “I can say that this is a miracle that we managed to be here at the Paralympic Games,” Sushkevych said. “For us, it is a matter of principle to be here, it’s a symbol to show that Ukraine is alive.” What medals are up for grabs? Beijing 2022 runs from Friday, March 4, to Sunday, March 13 and sees Para athletes competing in 78 events across six sports – alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, Para-ice hockey, snowboard and wheelchair curling. The Games will feature more than 600 athletes from 46 delegations. Three countries, meanwhile, are making their debut in Beijing – Israel, Azerbaijan and Puerto Rico. The host nation is fielding its largest team ever of a Paralympic, with a record 96 competitors – plus 121 coaches and support staff – and are genuine podium contenders. Up to now, China’s total medal haul across all Winter Games is one gold – courtesy of the Wheelchair Curling team in Pyeongchang four years ago. But this time, the home athletes, many of whom only started winter sports very recently, are targeting 73 different events across all six sports. Who are the athletes to watch? Like the Winter Games before it, the focus will turn to the many rising stars looking to make their mark on Paralympic history. One of those is 17-year-old female snowboarder Geng Yanhong – the youngest athlete on China’s team. She placed fourth in the women’s slalom event at the World Para Snowboard Championships last November and will be one to watch in Beijing. Geng will be joined by 85 other athletes making their Paralympic debuts for China at Beijing 2022. Team USA arrived in Beijing after one of its best performances at the Winter Paralympics four years ago in Pyeongchang, where the Americans led the overall medal table with 36 medals. Many of the United States’ biggest stars from 2018 will be back, including sledge hockey gold medallist Declan Farmer, alpine skiing gold medallist Andrew Kurka, and Brenna Huckaby, who bagged gold medals in Pyeongchang for snowboard cross and banked slalom. One story that will be closely followed during the Games is that of 22-year-old skier Grace Miller. Born without a left forearm in Guangzhou, Miller was adopted by a single American mother at the age of three. She went on to shine in the national biathlete and cross-country skiing scenes, before making her Paralympic debut while still in high school four years ago. Where is the action happening? The Winter Paralympics will be held over five venues in the three competition zones of central Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou. Two of these venues – the National Indoor Stadium (Para Ice Hockey) and the National Aquatic Centre (Wheelchair Curling) – are legacy venues from the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics. Beijing itself will host the indoor events – curling and ice hockey – as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. How to watch in Hong Kong Public broadcaster RTHK will take on broadcast duties in Hong Kong, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Friday’s opening ceremony will be shown on channel 31 from 8pm. For the sports fans out there, the Paralympics will stream the Games live from their website . Social media will also be key, with YouTube, Instagram and Facebook to offer highlights and behind-the-scenes footage.