"Two Olympic Games, Equally Wonderful" (International Commentary)

On March 7, the beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Snowboard Sledding Pursuit Final was held at Zhangjiakou Genting Ski Park. Before the competition, many athletes played games in the waiting area and warmed up in laughter. The picture shows Chinese athletes taking a group photo before the competition. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Chang

Before the opening of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference that China will fulfill its promise of "two Olympic Games and equally wonderful" and hold a simple, safe and wonderful Winter Paralympic event. On March 13, the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games came to an end. International public opinion has praised: China has fulfilled its promise perfectly.

"Amazing place to stay"

The opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games was held at the National Stadium on the evening of March 4. Since then, the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games have continuously won praise from the world.

According to a report titled "Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony: Progress, Transcendence, Hand in Hand" published on the official website of the International Olympic Committee, hundreds of athletes from all over the world gathered in Beijing to share the ice and snow event as the brilliant fireworks illuminated the night sky. The report used the word "stunning" to praise the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games. IPC spokesman Clegg Spencer said that if there was one word to describe the opening ceremony, it would be "WOW" "The opening ceremony was amazing!"

The environment of the Winter Paralympic Village was also appreciated by the athletes of the delegation. According to the Yahoo News website in the United States, Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou three winter Paralympic villages officially opened on February 25, the delegations have been stationed one after another, whether it is accommodation or security checks in the village have fully taken into account the needs of disabled athletes, the internal facilities are very humane, in order to provide a safe, warm and comfortable environment, so that athletes can feel the warmth of the "athletes' home". It has also become a hot spot for players from all over the world to "punch in".

After a few days of living and training in Beijing, U.S. Winter Paralympic hockey player Kyle Zich marveled at the venues and villages of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, according to Pakistan's Daily Times website. Zich is very grateful for the barrier-free facilities set up by the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, "We are so lucky to experience such an amazing Winter Olympic village and competition venue."

The Beijing Winter Paralympic Games have won widespread attention from the international community. American media group NBCUniversal broadcast more than 230 hours of Winter Paralympic programming on its platforms, including 3 hours of prime time. This is the most ambitious Winter Paralympic broadcast program in NBCUniversal history.

The National Public Radio reported that the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games has wheelchair curling, Paralympic ice hockey, Paralympic cross-country skiing, Paralympic biathlon, Paralympic alpine skiing, Paralympic snowboarding, a total of 6 major events and 78 sub-events. The report also mentioned that among the participants in the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, a record number of 138 female players participated. The Guardian reported that the British Winter Paralympic delegation sent 25 players to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, which is also the largest number of athletes in the United Kingdom since the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Paralympic Games.

"Setting a new benchmark for the Paralympic Movement"

"If the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games opened a new chapter for the Paralympic Movement, we believe that the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games will set a new benchmark for the Paralympic Movement. The Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee is the best of the three Winter Paralympic Organizing Committees I have experienced, and the preparation work is superb. Craig Spencer said.

Automatic doors, barrier-free seats, barrier-free elevators, barrier-free toilets, roll-in showers, barrier-free ramps, elevator reminder blind lanes, athlete changing rooms, low-level service desks... At the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, athletes eliminated subtle height differences, added anti-slip safety measures, and barrier-free facilities could reach every place, and the details were full of humanistic care. Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee, said a few days ago that the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee provides a barrier-free and safe environment for the Winter Paralympic Games, and everyone is satisfied with the organization and service of the Winter Paralympic Games. Before the opening of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, Andrew Parsons excitedly said that when the Summer Olympic Games were hosted in Beijing, the capital of China, 14 years ago, the Paralympic Games had become larger, more professional and more spectacular than before. A similar leap forward will be made in the winter version of the world's largest paralympic sports event.

I PARAC Accessibility Specialist Iliana Rodríguez said: "This Winter Paralympic Alpine Ski Resort is the best barrier-free environment I have ever seen. We went to a lot of venues during the conversion and each one did a really good job in terms of accessibility. The Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games have effectively promoted the development of barrier-free environments. ”

The NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO report quoted Susan Brownell, a professor of anthropology at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, as saying that China has always supported the development of sports for the disabled, reflecting China's people-centered development ideas.

The Winter Paralympics are short-term, but promoting the construction of barrier-free environments in cities is long-term. All venues in the three divisions of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games have considered the dual needs of the game and after the game, leaving more barrier-free heritage for the venues and the city, and all venues will be open to the public after the game. "This is a very good heritage, in 2008, China built 14 million barrier-free facilities, coupled with the barrier-free facilities of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games, which forms a good catalyst for improving accessibility in China." Craig Spencer review.

Convey faith, fraternity and hope

People from many countries and the media believe that the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games have conveyed confidence, fraternity and hope to the world and demonstrated the good wish of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

National Public Radio reported that calls for peace and inclusion ran through the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games. A scene at the opening ceremony touched the world: Li Duan, a Chinese visually impaired athlete who won gold medals at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games and the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, after several explorations, slowly inserted the Winter Paralympic torch into the main torchbearer amid the cheers of the audience. As Argentine athlete Enrique Plante said, the opening ceremony was full of creativity and detail, expressing love and tolerance for people with disabilities.

The Beijing Winter Paralympic Mascot "Snow Rongrong" is also considered a symbol of hospitality and tolerance. Italy's Ansa agency reported that the mascot blended the world's diverse cultures into a strong and enthusiastic "unity.". The Olympic column of the National Broadcasting Corporation introduced the Mascot of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games to american audiences on social media, "Snow Rongrong", believing that "Snow Rongrong" symbolizes the courage and perseverance of disabled athletes.

For people with disabilities, the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games bring strength and hope. British Minister of State for Disability, Health and Labour Chloe Smith said in an article published on the Times website that for athletes, standing on the field of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games is the culmination of years of grinding and training, especially in the current uncertain period caused by the new crown pneumonia epidemic. When our athletes set foot on the ice and snow arena in China, they will inspire the next generation of Paralympic athletes who are watching televised in the country. Ronnie Lins, director of the Center for China Studies in Brazil, said he believes the Beijing Winter Paralympics will inspire more people with disabilities around the world to embrace sports and surpass themselves.

ILYANA Rodríguez, an accessibility expert at the International Paralympic Committee, also believes that in addition to the accessibility of the hardware, another important legacy of hosting the Winter Paralympic Games is to "make the disabled more active and integrate into society, and the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games have set a benchmark in this regard."