Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games

According to the IPC President Andrew Parsons “Beijing 2022 marked a new dawn for the Paralympic Winter Games,” setting a new benchmark for all future winter Games.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing 2022 with its stunning venues and high-speed rail infrastructure were safe and secure Games full of athletic feats and historic firsts that will be remembered for years to come.

A whole new generation of youngsters pulled off exceptional performances, while veterans showed their dominance on the snow and ice.

Hosts China topped the medals table, more female Para athletes competed than ever before, and a record cumulative TV audience of 2.1 billion people watched the Games around the world.

COMPETING NATIONS AND ATHLETES

In total 46 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) competed at Beijing 2022 with Azerbaijan, Israel and Puerto Rico making their Paralympic Winter Games debut.

The IPC declined the athlete entries from NPC Russia and NPC Belarus in particular to preserve the viability and integrity of the Games and safety of all competing athletes and other participants following the invasion of Ukraine which took place in the week leading up to the Games.

There were 558 Para athletes, including a record 136 women. This surpassed the previous highest number of 133 set at PyeongChang 2018.

With 96 athletes, China had the biggest delegation, followed by USA (65) and Canada (44).

SPORTS

There were 78 medal events across six sports. Some venues that had been used for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games once again hosted Paralympic competition.

Having staged Para swimming events in 2008, the Beijing National Aquatics Centre held the wheelchair curling mixed team competition. The Beijing National Indoor Stadium, which hosted wheelchair basketball finals in 2008, was used for the seven-team Para ice hockey competition.

In the Yanqing cluster 30 medal events in Para alpine skiing were held at Xiaohaituo Alpine Skiing Field. In the Zhangjiakou cluster, eight medals in Para snowboard were held at the Genting Resorts, while the 18 medal events in Para biathlon and 20 Para cross-country events were held at the Kuyangshi Biathlon Field.

©AI Tielemans for OIS/IOC

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES

The USA’s Oksana Masters won the most medals of any athletes at the Games. Her seven medals (three gold and four silver) came in Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing.

With four gold medals in Para alpine skiing, Norway’s Jesper Pederson topped the podium more times than any other athlete at the Games. The sit-skier also won a silver medal.

A family dynasty helped Austria top the Para alpine skiing medals table. Veronika Aiger and older sister guide Elisabeth, and twin siblings Johannes and Barbara, won nine medals in total.

Having become Canada’s most decorated Paralympic winter athlete at PyeongChang 2018, Brian McKeever added three more gold medals in cross-country skiing at his final Paralympic Games. McKeever retired following the Games as the most decorated male cross-country skier of all-time having won 16 gold, two silver and once bronze medal since making his Paralympic debut at Salt Lake City 2002.

In Para ice hockey, USA won its fourth successive Paralympic gold medal defeating Canada 5-0 in the final. During the tournament the impressive US team scored 30 goals and conceded just one. US forward Declan Farmer was judged the Most Valuable Player and set a US record for the most career points, assists and goals in Winter Games history.

China retained their gold medal in wheelchair curling, defeating Sweden 8-3 in the final. After securing bronze, Canada maintained its record of making the podium in the sport at every Paralympic Winter Games.

Results

For the first time in the history of the Paralympic Winter Games, China topped the medals table. Having previously only won one Paralympic Winter Games medal – a wheelchair curling gold medal at PyeongChang 2018 – China won 18 gold, 20 silver and 23 bronze medals. China finished ahead of Ukraine (11 gold, 10 silver, and eight bronze) in second and Canada (eight gold, six silver, and 11 bronze) in third. In total, 19 national delegations won medals, including 15 that won gold.

Austria topped the Para alpine skiing medal table (four gold, five silver, and two bronze), while Ukraine dominated Para biathlon (eight gold, nine silver, and five bronze). China led the way in cross-country skiing (seven gold, six silver, and five bronze).

There were four medal sweeps during the Games. Ukraine took all podium positions in three Para biathlon events – men’s 6km vision impaired, men’s 10km vision impaired and women’s 10km standing. In Para snowboard hosts China secured gold, silver and bronze in the men’s snowboard cross UL.

Country

Gold

Silver

Bronze

USA

CHN

JPN

CAN

FRA

Paralympic Torch Relay

The Paralympic Torch Relay involved 565 torchbearers who took part in the closed Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou competition zones due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The flame of the Paralympic Torch was a combination of nine flames brought together from nine different locations.

The Paralympic Heritage Flame was first lit at Stock Mandeville in Great Britain, the birthplace of Paralympics on 1 March, and the remaining eight flames were lit on 2 March in schools, libraries and historic landmarks across the three Paralympics competition zones.

OPENING CEREMONY

China’s National Stadium, the iconic Bird’s Nest, made history by becoming the first venue to stage the Opening Ceremony of both the Paralympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games.

The theme of the Opening Ceremony was “Improve, Go Beyond and Together” and brought together touching performances and stunning visual effects.

In a Ceremony with many highlights, Shuey Rhon Rhon, the red-lantern styled Paralympic mascot, skated on to stage during the parade of athletes. There was also a Paralympic waltz where half of the performances were individuals with disabilities.

The Paralympic cauldron was lit by four-time Paralympic gold medallist Li Duan, a vision impaired athlete in triple jump and long jump.

During his Opening Ceremony speech, IPC President Andrew Parsons called for world peace.

"The world must be a place for sharing, not dividing," Parsons said.

"I am horrified by what is taking place in the world right now. The 21st century is a time for dialogue and diplomacy, not war and hate.

"Through sport, Paralympians will showcase the best of humanity and highlight the values that should underpin a peaceful and inclusive world.

"Paralympians know that an opponent does not have to be an enemy, and that united we can achieve more, much more."

President Xi Jinping declared the Games open.

Para alpine skier Zhang Menqiu and wheelchair curler Chen Jianxin took the Paralympic Oath of fair play on behalf of the athletes. They were joined by Para ice hockey official Zhang Liheng on behalf of the judges, and wheelchair curling coach Yue Quinshuang.

©AI Tielemans for OIS/IOC

CLOSING CEREMONY

“If Beijing 2008 started a new chapter of growth for the Paralympic Movement, then Beijing 2022 has marked a new dawn for the Paralympic Winter Games,” said IPC President Andrew Parsons in his Closing Ceremony speech.

In the beautiful setting of the iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium, the evening got underway with the stage comprising LED Screens transforming into a core visual symbol of a ‘record player’. But the sight to behold was the hundreds of red, blue, and green ski poles that were aligned to form the IPC’s Agitos logo.

Flag bearers from all participating countries, to the tune of ‘Ode of Joy’, marched on to the record that transformed into a blue earth.

The IPC’s WeThe15 initiative logo also took centrestage on the ‘record’ and volunteers’ representatives with and without disabilities stood on the podium with the newly-elected members of the IPC Athletes’ Commission, presenting them with flowers.

To the music of ‘You Raise Me Up’, performers with disabilities used sign language to express the most wonderful emotion shared by all of the human race ‘love’ while forming a special ‘sound wave’ on the floor that depicted touching scenes in the daily lives of persons with and without disabilities.

A video showcasing the perseverance in volunteers with impairments and the breaking of barriers in pursuit to help others played amidst the tune, 'This Lovely World With You'', touched the heart of everyone present.

With the lowering of the Paralympic flag, it was time to hand over the Games baton to next hosts – Milano Cortina 2026. The hosts of the next Winter Games immediately raised the expectation with an artistic show ‘We Are The Light’.

Amidst the drumbeats resembling the ticking of time, the record played some of the unforgettable moments of the Games that will live forever.

As mascot Shuey Rhon Rhons slowly pushed up the ‘tone arm’ off the ground, stopping the ‘record,’ the Paralympic Cauldron was extinguished and snowflake faded into the night.

The fireworks then lit over the Bird’s Nest displaying ‘Beijing 2022’ for one last time to leave a lasting memory of the successful Winter Games.

ATTENDANCE AND COVERAGE

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, spectator tickets were not sold to anyone but formed part of an adapted programme whereby invited group of spectators were able to be present on-site during the Games.

In terms of TV coverage, more than 300 hours of live sport was produced and was watched by a record global cumulative TV audience of 2.1 billion people.

British broadcaster Channel 4 made history as 100 per cent of its presenting team had a disability.

LEGACY

As with the 2008 Paralympic Games, the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games was used as a catalyst for change for China’s 83 million people with disabilities.

The number of persons with disabilities engaged in winter sports grew from about 10,000 in the launch year to more than 300,000 in the 2021 season.

Additionally, the number of winter Para athletes increased from less than 50 to more than 1,000 and the number of technical officials grew from zero to hundreds.

The aim to establish China as a snow and ice destination was achieved even before the Games began. By the beginning of 2021, the country had already built 654 standard ice rinks, up by 317 per cent compared with 2015; and 803 indoor and outdoor ski resorts, up by 41 per cent from 2015 levels.

One year after the Games, as many as 346 million more people took part in winter sports since 2015. According to the China Tourism Academy, during the 2024-2025 ice and snow season, China’s winter leisure tourism sector was expected to have welcomed more than 520 million visitors and earned revenue of more than CNY 720 billion (approx. USD 107 billion).

The mushrooming growth of this sector has had knock-on benefits for health and leisure, society and the broader economy. For example, for those living in areas surrounding the venues, the Games created some 81,000 new job opportunities.

For host cities, long-term governance changes will leave a legacy that benefits generations of persons with disabilities in both Beijing and Zhangjiakou.

New regulation was introduced to the Beijing Municipality which ensures that construction projects have accessible environments. Additionally, the standards system was improved, with more than 30 accessibility design standards that cover areas like facilities, residential communities, public buildings, municipal roads, and rail transit being introduced.

In Zhangjiakou, the planning, design, and construction for all new, expanded and renovated public buildings, residential buildings, urban roads and roads within residential communities, public green areas and public service facilities in the city are required to be carried out according to the requirements of the Beijing 2022 Accessibility Guidelines. The accessible facilities of construction projects are also required to be designed, constructed, and delivered at the same time as the main body of the project.

Medals

The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games medals are a stunning representation of China’s history and culture, while also emphasising sustainability. As part of the host city’s bid to host an eco-friendly Games, the medal cases were made of bamboo and lacquer.

Mascot

Shuey Rhon Rhon is a Chinese lantern child who welcomed athletes from around the globe during the Games. Exuding positivity, the glow emanating from its heart symbolises the warmth, friendship and courage of Para athletes that light up the dreams of millions of people every day.

Torch

The Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic torch, named 'Flying', shares the same structure and patterns as the Olympic one - spiraling upward to resemble two overlapping fluttering ribbons.For the Winter Paralympics, the Torch features a colour scheme of gold and silver, meant to symbolise 'glory and dreams' while reflecting the Paralympics values of 'determination, equality, inspiration and courage.