Winter Paralympics: China name para cross-country and para ice hockey athletes as flag-bearers at opening ceremony
- Guo, a female para cross-country and para biathlon skier won three gold medals and three silvers at China’s 11th National Para Games in 2021
- The hosts have named a team of 96 competitors for Beijing 2022 and are genuine podium contenders
Guo Yujie and Wang Zhidong have been named as the Chinese delegation’s flag bearers at Friday’s opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.
Guo, a female para cross-country and para biathlon skier born in north China’s Hebei Province, who has upper limb disabilities, brings a significant contribution to para sports, having won three gold medals and three silvers at China’s 11th National Para Games in 2021.
The 21-year-old Wang is a core player in the Chinese men’s para ice hockey team and took part in the World Para Ice Hockey Championships in 2018 and 2021.
“I will spare no efforts at the Beijing Paralympics and wish all other athletes rise and shine,” the 18-year-old Guo said.
The host nation is fielding its biggest ever Paralympics team in Beijing, with a record 96 competitors – plus 121 coaches and support staff – and are genuine podium contenders.
Up to now, their total medal haul across all Winter Games is one gold – courtesy of the Wheelchair Curling team in Pyeongchang four years ago.
But this time, the home athletes, many of whom only started winter sports very recently, are targeting 73 different events across all six sports.
