Calgary 2024: Get to Know China

The 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool will take place from 4-12 May at WinSport Arenas in Calgary, Canada. The event will feature the top eight teams in the world: USA, Canada, Czechia, China, South Korea, Italy, Japan and Slovakia. The tournament will be played in a round-robin format with the teams split into two groups, followed by the playoff round, culminating with the gold-medal game on 12 May.

Background

China has been on a tear since starting its programme in 2017, winning the gold at the World Championships B-Pool in 2021, a bronze medal on its home ice at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics, and the finishing fourth in its first A-Pool appearance last season. China will now look to make the podium in the A-Pool for the first time after missing out on a medal by a single goal last season.

World Championships History

2023: 4th place (A-Pool)
2021: Gold (B-Pool) 
2019: Silver (B-Pool)

Athlete to Watch

Yifeng Shen is a star forward who continues to shine more and more with each tournament he skates. He was the host nation’s best player on the ice at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics with eight goals and six assists, and following that up with a team-leading 13 goals and four assists at last year’s World Championships A-Pool.

Matchup to Watch: China vs. USA on 7 May

The last day of preliminary play will feature a rematch of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic semifinal, putting the fastest rising team in the sport against the most dominant and winning team. Expect a high-stakes aggressive matchup that will determine playoff seeding.