China confirms a record 96 athletes for Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, as final preparations for venues are completed
- Veteran Zhang Haiyuan, the oldest Paralympian in the hosts’ delegation at 45, returns to compete in alpine skiing
- Female snowboarder Geng Yanhong, 17, will be China’s youngest athlete, making her debut along with 86 others
China has confirmed its biggest-ever squad for a Paralympic Games, with a record 96 athletes looking to mirror the success of the hosts’ Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics delegation.
Beijing marks China’s sixth appearance at a Winter Paralympics, which run from March 4 to 13. The Chinese delegation includes 68 male and 28 female athletes, with an average age of 25.
At 45 years old, alpine skier Zhang Haiyuan is the oldest Paralympian in the delegation. She is also one of the most accomplished, having represented China in Para athletics and Para alpine skiing.
In athletics, she won gold in the T42 long jump at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, and competed in the same discipline at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
Should she make the podium at Beijing 2022, Zhang – who was the final torch bearer at the 2010 Asian Para Games opening ceremony in Guangzhou, will go down as one of China’s most successful Paralympic athletes.
On the opposite side of the age bracket is 17-year-old female snowboarder Geng Yanhong – the youngest athlete on China’s team. She placed fourth in the women’s slalom event at the World Para Snowboard Championships last November.
