The 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics on March 13 officially came to a close. Launched on March 4 for a 10-day run, this competition featured an estimated 560 athletes from 46 countries competing in the Chinese capital, Zhangjiakou and Yanqing. Korea had 31 athletes entered in all six events: alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, biathlon, ice hockey and wheelchair curling. The photos below show vivid scenes from this year's Games.
By Hayeon Kim
Photos = Yonhap News
The opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics on March 4 is held at the Beijing National Stadium in the Chinese capital under the theme "Together for a Shared Future." The performances there expressed harmony and collaboration under the Paralympic spirit of never giving up and taking on challenges.
Korea on March 4 appears as the 35th nation to enter the Beijing National Stadium during the opening ceremony.
Korea's most decorated Winter Paralympian, Shin Eui-hyun, on the morning of March 5 is out of breath after crossing the finish line in the finals of the men's para 6-km sprint sitting biathlon at the National Biathlon Centre of Zhangjiakou in the Chinese province of Hebei. As the first Korean to win a gold medal in the 7.5-km cross-country skiing sitting race at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics, he finished 10th in Beijing.
Jeong Seong-hoon from the mixed wheelchair curling team "Team Jung Yoon-jung's Confession" on the morning of March 8 carefully takes a shot in a preliminary round game against Canada. The team comprising Ko Seung-nam, Park Hae-jin, Jeong, Jang Jae-hyeok and Yoon Eun-goo failed to advance to the semifinals and finished sixth after defeating Sweden, 10-4, in the final round-robin game.
Han Sang-min on March 10 competes in his second run in the men's giant slalom sitting event at Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre in Beijing's Yangqing District. The competitor, 42, completed the race in 15th place.
The national ice hockey team on the afternoon of March 12 plays China in the bronze medal game at the Beijing National Stadium. The squad made history in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics by winning its first bronze and finished fourth in Beijing.
Jang Dong-shin on March 9 smiles after the national ice hockey team beats Italy to advance to the semifinals at the Beijing National Stadium. Shin scored the game's first and fourth goals.
Choi Sara (right), the youngest member of Team Korea at age 19, on March 12 poses for photos with her guide runner Kim Yoo-seong after completing the women's slalom vision impaired competition at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre. After competing in her first Winter Paralympics, a confident Choi said, "My next goal is a Paralympics medal." She finished 10th out of 15 competitors who started the race, with just 11 completing the course.
The closing ceremony for the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics on March 13 is held at the Beijing National Stadium under the theme "Eternity in Warmth."
hayeounk8@korea.kr