In a remarkable demonstration of the power of resilience and solidarity, Team China delivered a stellar performance at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, scooping up a record haul of medals.
As the curtain came down on the Winter Paralympic Games on Sunday in Cortina, Italy, after 12 days of tough competitions, China topped the medal tally with 15 gold, 13 silver and 16 bronze medals.
This edition of the Games marked the nation's best showing at an overseas Winter Paralympics since it made its debut in Salt Lake City in the United States in 2002. The country's best showing ever was at the Beijing 2022 event when it won 18 golds.
On Sunday, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council sent a congratulatory message to the Chinese delegation for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, commending the delegation for leading both the gold and overall medal tables.
Chang Zheng, vice-president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation and deputy head of the Chinese delegation, said that China sent 70 para athletes to participate in 73 of the 79 events across six sports in the Games.
"The extensive participation reflects a boom in engagement in ice and snow sports among people with disabilities," he said.
China's para biathlon and cross-country skiing team contributed 11 of the 15 gold medals. Among the winners was 25-year-old Cai Jiayun, who won three golds in the standing class.
On Friday, during the men's sprint pursuit event, Cai lagged behind in the final stretch before pushing himself to overtake the leading Ukrainian skier just before the finish line to win the race with a 0.2-second lead.
"There seemed to be no way I could catch up given the distance between us and the short time left,"Cai said. "But at that moment, I relied on my willpower. I just kept following, kept chasing and doing my best."
Fu Chunshan, coach of the biathlon and cross-country skiing team and a para athlete who represented China about two decades ago, said he was deeply moved by the fighting spirit displayed by the athletes.
One incredible win that touched him was that of Liu Zixu in the men's cross-country skiing event in the sitting class, who fought his way to the front from near the last place to win gold. Equally incredible was visually impaired athlete Yu Shuang, who rebounded from a tough start to win gold in the men's sprint pursuit event.
"The spirit of our athletes — never giving up and fighting until the very last moment — was on full display at the Games," Fu said.
Beyond mental toughness, Fu stressed that comprehensive improvements in training conditions have played a significant role in achieving breakthroughs. These include the establishment of domestic, year-round skiing venues, upgrades in equipment and training plans, and the addition of supporting staff, ranging from doctors to ski waxing technicians.
The indomitable spirit of the Paralympics shone beyond the top of the podium. Liu Sitong, who claimed four bronze medals in the alpine skiing sitting class, tackled what many skiers described as the most challenging slopes with joy.
"I am not afraid of the steep slopes at all. I actually quite enjoy the risks. My body may not be fully able, but I am completely free on the snow and can go in any direction I want," said Liu.
Recalling an incident that hurt her arm and cost her weeks of training on snow before the Games, Liu said that she pulled through the rough patch with the conviction that she would by no means bail out and must be present on the starting line.
"Eight years ago, I was the only para alpine skier from China, and now the number of people on our team has expanded to 22," she said. "I hope that more people get the opportunity to enjoy the sense of freedom and excitement in winter sports."
Ji Lijia, who defended his championship title in the snowboard cross SB-UL class, said he has grown increasingly outgoing and confident over the past four years.
He no longer hides his residual left limb with long sleeves, and now raises both arms high on the podium, in an effort to inspire more people like him.
Ji credited his victory partly to training alongside able-bodied athletes in recent years. "They push us to go all out to keep up and constantly surpass our limits. Able-bodied snowboarders also shared that they are inspired by our perseverance," he said.
"I hope for more opportunities to learn, compete and improve alongside able-bodied athletes," he added.
In the wheelchair curling segment, Chinese athletes claimed gold in the inaugural mixed doubles event and silver in the mixed team competition.
Wang Meng added the first-ever gold in mixed doubles to her two previous Paralympic titles. She said the process of preparing for the newly added event was arduous, but they managed to stay composed, patient and united as one on the ice to make history.
"We hope that more people with disabilities can draw inspiration and power from our hard but rewarding journey, open their hearts, and engage in ice and snow sports or other social activities," she said.