Skip to main content
12221
Chatbot Button Back to International Paralympic Committee homepage Go to PyeongChang 2018
Contrast:
High Contrast
Normal Contrast
Enlargement:
Larger Font Size
Default Font Size
Smaller Font Size
    • Home
    • Watch
    • News
    • Schedule & Results
    • Highlights
    • Sports
    • Countries
    • Athletes
    • Venues
    • About
    • Tickets
    • Samsung Bloggers
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    From PyeongChang to Beijing 2022: China dreams big

    29.03.2018

    Hosts of next Winter Paralympics look to build on Games success

    a male wheelchair curler raises his arms in celebration Haitao Wang led China to wheelchair curling gold at PyeongChang 2018 © • Getty Images
    By IPC
    Listen to this page using ReadSpeaker

    China ended top of the medals table for the fourth consecutive Summer Paralympics at Rio 2016, winning a staggering 239 medals including 107 golds, 81 silvers and 51 bronze.

    But they had to wait until PyeongChang 2018 to seal their first Winter Paralympic medal, courtesy of the wheelchair curling team who won an historic gold medal following a thrilling victory over Norway in an extra-end in the final. As the hosts of the next Winter Games in Beijing in 2022, the achievement could not have come at a better time.

    Chinese skip Haitao Wang said: “We just cheered each other on throughout the game and I tried to do my best. Maybe that's the reason why we could get the gold medal.

    “Taking part in Beijing 2022 and winning a medal would be a dream come true for me. I would love to compete in front of my people.”

    “China, my country is very important for me, so listening to the national anthem was a very special moment. It's the first medal of a Chinese team in the Paralympic Games, and I think it is pretty big. We are very excited.”

    Apart from the much-celebrated Winter Paralympic title, China sent 26 athletes to PyeongChang, making up the country’s biggest delegation yet. Their Winter Paralympic debut was at Salt Lake City 2002 with four athletes. They were represented by seven athletes at Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010.

    Four years later, 10 Chinese athletes competed at Sochi 2014. After Beijing was selected host city for the 2022 Winter Paralympics at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2015, China began their winter Para sports plan.

    In 2016, a group of 72 youngsters from eight provinces of China got the chance to try Para alpine skiing and Para snowboard at a development camp run by ‘Play and Train’ in Harbin.

    The participants, who all had visual or physical impairments, were introduced to the sports, classification and the Paralympic Movement as part of a drive to increase the numbers of potential athletes in the country ahead of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

    “Taking part in Beijing 2022 and winning a medal would be a dream come true for me. I would love to compete in front of my people,” said 18-year-old snowboarder Sun Qi, who finished 11th in the banked slalom and 12th in the snowboard-cross SB-LL2 at PyeongChang 2018.

    China had representation in five of the six sports at this year’s Winter Paralympics. Sixteen competed in cross-country, one in alpine skiing, five in biathlon, four in snowboard and five in wheelchair curling.

    Another important fact is that out of the 26 athletes, 20 are still in their twenties, which shows potential ahead of Beijing 2022.

    With a growing interest and awareness of Para sports across the country, more youngsters getting involved and already a gold medal under their belt, China aim high in the lead-up to their home Winter Paralympics.

    Related News
    PyeongChang 2018: The record-breaking Games
    PyeongChang 2018: Top five moments of the Games
    PyeongChang 2018: Top five medal winners
    PyeongChang 2018: Top 5 surprises
    PyeongChang 2018: What’s next for wheelchair curling
    PyeongChang 2018: Top 5 wheelchair curling moments
    • Tweet
      • print
      • send
    LATEST NEWS
    Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation 05.08.2019 Nadezhda Fedorova suspended for anti-doping violation
    Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude 05.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: USA top table as Junior Worlds conclude
    Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day 04.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Breathless third day
    Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way 03.08.2019 Nottwil 2019: Noah Malone makes his way
    Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month 02.08.2019 Vote for July’s Athlete of the Month
    More news...following the link
    Worldwide Paralympic Partners
    Go to Atos partner page
    Go to Bridgestone partner page
    Go to OttoBock partner page
    Go to Panasonic partner page
    Go to Samsung partner page
    Go to Toyota partner page
    Go to Visa partner page
    International Partners
    Go to Allianz partner page
    Go to BP partner page
    Go to Citi partner page
    • FAQ
    • Privacy
    • Imprint
    • Jobs
    Powered by Go to Atos. Worldwide IPC partner page
    The Paralympic Games
    Summer Games
    Winter Games
    Sochi 2014
    Rio 2016
    All the results & medallist since 1960
    Games video archive
    About the IPC
    Who we are
    Anti-Doping
    Medical
    Partners
    IPC Strategic Plan 2015-2018
    IPC Handbook
    Publications and Documents
    Media Centre
    News
    Features & Interviews
    The Paralympian
    Videos
    Athlete of the Month
    Media Office
    Sports
    Summer Sports
    Winter Sports
    Biographies
    NPCS
    Africa
    America
    Asia
    Europe
    Oceania
    Go to International Paralympic Committee homepage
    Official Website of the Paralympic Movement • IPC
    Homepage
    Paralympic Games
    The IPC
    Results, Ranking & Records
    Media Centre
    Videos
    Sports
    International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
    Adenauerallee 212-214, 53113 Bonn, Germany
    Telephone: +49-228-2097-200 • Fax: +49-228-2097-209 • E-mail: [email protected]
    23:43:06