Exactly one year out from Paralympics, China's preparations lay foundations for success at the Games and beyond

Boosted by state-of-the-art facilities and foreign coaching expertise, Team China today began the one-year countdown to the 2022 Winter Paralympics with good reason to believe its athletes can steal the show at the Games.

Just like their able-bodied Olympic compatriots, China's para-athletes are going all out for glory as they bid to do their country proud when the Paralympics open on March 4 next year in Beijing and co-host Zhangjiakou, Hebei province.

Guided by 42 coaches, including seven from overseas, a squad of 124 para-athletes, selected from a pool of over 1,000 hopefuls, are training full-time on tailored programs at five bases in Beijing and Hebei.

The aim is to have Chinese para-athletes competing in all 78 medals events across six sports－alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, para-ice hockey and wheelchair curling－at the Games, according to the sports department of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

Despite a late start and poor training facilities in the beginning, Chinese para-athletes' unwillingness to be left behind in the winter sports boom since Beijing won its bid in 2015 is inspiring, said Yong Zhijun, the sports department's director of competition and training.

"Winter sports participation was limited to only a certain region for most people in our country (before 2015), not to mention the involvement of people with disabilities," Yong said at a media briefing in preparation for the Winter Paralympics on Tuesday.

"Yet, the situation has significantly improved since Beijing won the bid. We are now witnessing the best opportunity to promote and develop winter sports among the disabled with national-level support that has never been seen before."

China sent a team to the Winter Paralympics for the first time in 2002, when four para-athletes competed in cross-country and alpine skiing disciplines in Salt Lake City, United States.

With Beijing 2022 promising to deliver both Games in an excellent and extraordinary fashion, improving training facilities and increased government support have yielded encouraging results, highlighted by the wheelchair curling team's gold medal at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in South Korea and two world championship titles won by para-snowboarders in 2019 in Finland.

Since 2016, Chinese athletes have participated in 59 international events featuring Paralympic winter sports, claiming 38 gold medals.

Located in northeast Beijing's Shunyi district, the National Ice Sports Arena for People with Impairments began operation in December. Among its cutting-edge facilities are world-class ice rinks tailored to Paralympic standards, a rehabilitation center and accommodation areas to help Chinese para-athletes fine-tune their skills in wheelchair curling and para-hockey.

The arena has been designed specifically to cater to people with disabilities. Elevator buttons are at foot level, for example, while restrooms offer similar ease of use. Motion-sensor doors open automatically and the corners of walls are arced to prevent bumps and bruises.

Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee, has lauded China's commitment to taking winter para-sports participation to the next level in the world's most populous nation.

"The investment that China is making in winter para-sports is impressive and the number of persons with disabilities that they want to reach and be engaged in winter sports is just incredible," Parsons said during a video message sent to the opening session of the National Paralympic Committee Chefs de Mission webinar for Beijing 2022 on Monday.

During the online meeting, Beijing 2022 organizers delivered an overview of the preparatory work for the Games in areas such as sports program, venue readiness and infrastructure.

According to Beijing 2022's planning and construction department, all five competition venues for the Paralympics were completed by the end of last year.

In addition, Paralympic courses and barrier-free facilities at three snow sports venues－the National Alpine Ski Center in Yanqing, the National Biathlon Center and Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou－were tested during a series of domestic competitions last month.

The other two ice venues－the National Aquatics Center and the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, which will host wheelchair curling and para-ice hockey respectively－will be evaluated in April.

Construction and refurbishment of 25 non-competition venues for media operations, ceremonies and accommodation will be completed by August.

Parsons stressed that, despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the international para-sports community is fully confident that Beijing 2022 will be held safely and on schedule, offering the best possible platform for athletes to showcase their talent.