Para athletes clinch record medals in Italy

BEIJING, 16 March (BelTA - China Daily) - 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