516-member Paralympic team formed – Chinadaily.com.cn

Olympic excitement may have cooled with the end of summer, but for Paralympians, the Games are just heating up. China’s 516-member Paralympic delegation was officially formed in Beijing on Friday, and all are ready to compete in Paris with pride and integrity.

The Paris Paralympic Games, scheduled for August 28 to September 8, will mark the French capital hosting the event for the first time.

This year’s Games will feature 22 sports and 549 events, 10 more than the Tokyo Paralympics.

More than 4,400 athletes from over 160 countries and regions are expected to compete in the event. With a mix of youth and experience, China’s delegation will participate in 19 sports and 302 events, including archery, athletics, badminton, wheelchair basketball, fencing and tennis.

China’s delegation to the upcoming Paris Paralympics, marking its 11th appearance at the Summer Paralympics, includes 126 male and 158 female athletes, supported by 232 coaches and staff.

The athletes have an average age of 25.8 years, with 48-year-old table tennis player Xiong Guiyan as the oldest competitor and 15-year-old swimmer Zhu Hui as the youngest. The team also includes 12 athletes from ethnic minority groups.

All athletes are amateurs, representing a variety of professions, from workers and farmers to students, civil servants and freelancers. Of the participants, 189 athletes have previously competed in the Paralympic Games, while 95 are set to make their debut.

Cheng Kai, President of the China Federation of the Handicapped, will lead the delegation, which aims to push the limits, pursue excellence and show both spirit and sportsmanship.

Their mission also includes promoting international friendships, achieving success in both competition and cultural values, and deepening cultural exchanges and cooperation with the host country.

China made its Paralympic debut in 1984 at the seventh New York Games, sending a delegation of 24 athletes to compete in athletics, archery and table tennis. The team won an impressive 24 medals, including two golds.

In the years that followed, China’s performance saw a significant improvement. At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, the nation dominated the Games, winning 89 gold, 70 silver and 52 bronze – a total of 211 medals – topping both the gold and overall rankings.

In 2021, at the 16th Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo, the Chinese team continued its winning streak, winning 207 medals, including 96 gold, and securing first place in both the number of gold medals, as well as in the overall ranking for the fifth time in a row.