Under the bombardment of Russian artillery fire, the Ukrainian Winter Paralympic Games delegation insisted on going to Beijing to participate in the event, showing the spirit of not being afraid of war. To prove the existence of the country, the athletes worked hard to show their best performance and won 11 gold medals, setting a new record for Paralympic Winter Games medals.
Taipei, TAIWAN (Merxwire) – The 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games opened on March 4th, and the event started on March 5th. After nine days schedule, all events ended on March 13th. According to the official statistics, the Landlords China ranked first with 18 golds, 20 silvers, and 23 bronzes with a total of 61 medals, and the Ukrainian team ranked second with 11 golds, 10 silvers, 8 bronzes, and a total of 29 medals, setting a new historical record. The third is Canada which had 8 gold, 6 silver, and 11 bronze medals with a total of 25 medals.
The closing ceremony was also held at the National Stadium in Beijing. Chief director Zhang Yimou combined Chinese culture and beautiful scenery with a “warm and touching” spirit. Through the story of the disabled people’s efforts and the behavior of not giving up, all the touching moments of life and competition are completed.
The previous best record of Ukraine in the Paralympic Winter Games was Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games held in Italy and it won 7 gold, 9 silver, and 9 bronze and ranked third with 25 medals, second only to Russia’s 13 gold and Germany’s 8 gold. The delegation worked hard to avoid Russian fire and insisted on going to Beijing to participate in the competition. It was just to speak for the country through international sports events, to convey the spirit of not being afraid of war, and to re-establish the existence of the country “Ukraine”. The cruel war united the hearts of all the contestants, stimulated morale, and made them unite towards the goal of the competition, hoping to achieve the best results for the country and let the world pay attention to them. The final record-breaking result is indeed shocking everyone.
Oleksandra Kononova, the Women’s Middle Distance Free Technique Standing player of Ukraine, also made a moving speech when she won gold in the standing competition, speaking up on the podium for her country to nurture and empower herself having high-level performance, and proud of Ukraine. Even in Beijing, she was always standing with her family who is deeply involved in the war.
Even if they set the best record in team history, the Ukrainian delegation could not show a happy smile, because their hometown and their families are still caught in the war, which made them worried. After the end of the Paralympic Games, it is still uncertain whether they will be able to return home to reunite successfully. If the time of returning home is delayed due to the impact of the war, there will be problems of insufficient supplies and unknown temporary residence. In an interview, Valeriy Sushkevych, chairman of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee, specifically mentioned that the most important significance of this competition is “calling for world peace”, hoping that the world will hear their voices and lend a helping hand to assist them on their way back to their hometowns. The war subsided as soon as possible, and the homeland was rebuilt smoothly.
