As the Beijing Winter Olympic Games just came to an end successfully, the Chinese sports delegation for the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games was officially established on February 21. 

China is sending 96 athletes to next month's Paralympic Winter Games, its largest ever participation in the event. The Chinese athletes will be competing in 73 events across all six sports.

As reported, there are three Zhejiang athletes being selected into Chinese sports delegation this time. They are snowboarders Wang Xinyu, Yang Jian and cross-country skier Li Panpan, marking the first time for Zhejiang athletes to compete in the Winter Paralympics.

The photo of Wang Xinyu (Photo/Zhejiang News)

Wang Xinyu was a Ningbo girl, born in August 2001. She came across an accident and lost her left calf when she was 6 years old. Then, she began to practice swimming and was selected into the provincial and national disabled snowboarding team consecutively in 2008. Wang won the gold medal at the 10th National Paralympics. She is also the first Zhejiang athlete that got the gold medal in the winter sports of the National Paralympics.

“When the opportunity comes, grasp it firmly. Take one step at a time to achieve a small goal. My dream is to compete for my country in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics.” Wang Xinyu said.

The photo of Yang Jian (Photo/Zhejiang News)

Yang Jian, born in June 1993, is also from Ningbo. Born without a left forearm, Yang started practising sports at the age of 15 and was selected for the Zhejiang disabled cycling team at the age of 18. He had won 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze in cycling events at the 8th, 9th and 10th National Paralympic Games. He joined the provincial disabled snowboarding team in 2018 and was selected for the national disabled snowboarding team later. Yang won 1 silver medal in the 2020 Paralympic Snowboarding Asia Cup competition.

The photo of Li Panpan (Photo/Zhejiang News)

Li Panpan is an Hangzhou girl, born in March 1992. She is disabled in her lower limbs due to congenital reasons and lives by a wheelchair all the time. In 2008, she was selected for the Zhejiang disabled archery team, and later, she switched to the Zhejiang disabled cycling team. In 2018, she joined the Zhejiang disabled cross-country ski team for good physical quality and excellent sports skills, and in the same year, she was selected for the national disabled cross-country ski team. He won the bronze medal in the cross-country skiing competition in the 10th and 11th National Paralympics.

To participate in the Paralympics and compete for the country is Li’s dream all along. “The country has given us the best support. I want to repay the country with the best results.” She said.  

The Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 will be held from March 4 to 13.

Editor: Huang Yan