Athletes train in wheelchair curling in the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on March 4, 2026. Photo: VCG

With the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics is set to unfold on Friday, China has sent a 167-member delegation to the quadrennial Games.

With 70 athletes competing across all six sports - Para ice hockey, wheelchair curling, Para alpine skiing, Para snowboard, Para cross-country skiing and Para biathlon - the Chinese team represents not only medal ambitions but also a broader effort to promote winter Para sports nationwide.

Sixty-two of the Chinese athletes had prior Paralympic experience, bringing a mix of veteran savvy and youthful energy. Among the Chinese athletes, with an average age of 27, the oldest competitor is 40 while the youngest is 18. 

According to the International Paralympic Committee, this year's event, which also marks the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics, will see more than 600 athletes from 52 countries and regions vying for the medals in 79 events. 

The flag-bearers

Para alpine skier Liu Sitong and para snowboarder Ji Lijia will be the flag-bearers for the Chinese delegation, it was announced on Thursday. 

Liu, from Northeast China's Liao-ning Province, won the silver medal in the women's sitting giant slalom and three bronze medals in downhill, super combined, and slalom at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics. She will compete in five alpine skiing events - women's sitting downhill, super G, super combined, giant slalom, and slalom - at the 2026 Games.

Ji, from North China's Hebei Province, claimed the gold medal in the men's UL snowboard cross and the silver medal in the banked slalom at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics. He will take part in the men's UL snowboard cross and banked slalom at the 2026 Games.

The duo represents the growing prowess of Chinese para-athletes at Winter Paralympics, as the past years saw a rapid ascent in winter Para sports, a trajectory that accelerated dramatically after Beijing hosted the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics. 

High expectations

For China, this is the seventh appearance at the Winter Paralympics since 2002. At Beijing 2022, China topped the medal table for the first time, securing 18 golds, 20 silvers, and 23 bronzes, a record haul that solidified its status as a Winter Paralympics powerhouse. 

Now, at Milan-Cortina, expectations are high for China to challenge traditional leaders like Norway, the US and Austria, while extending its dominance from the Summer to the Winter Paralympics. 

In team sports, the wheelchair curling and Para ice hockey squads are pinned with medal aspirations, while individual snow events like Para cross-country skiing and Para biathlon boast the largest contingents. 

In wheelchair curling, the Chinese athletes aim to defend their Beijing 2022 gold, with the mixed team led by skipper Wang Haitao. 

Wang, who discovered the sport through a local disabled persons' federation, has become a para curling icon. At 34, he aims for a historic third Paralympic title, having won in Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022. 

"In my previous Paralympic appearances, I felt heavy pressure to make breakthroughs and win gold. This time, I'm much more relaxed and mentally mature," Wang said in an interview with the People's Daily. 

As a two-time consecutive Winter Paralympic champion and four-time world champion, China's wheelchair curling team has delivered impressive results in recent years, raising high expectations. 

However, Wang remains calm.

"If you keep thinking you have to take first place every day, you'll have to deal with the fear of losing. You'll never perform well that way," Wang said. "Train hard, give your all, and focus on every stone you deliver. Good results will come naturally." 

"There are no weak teams at the Paralympics. While others study us, we study them too. Over the years, we've competed against strong foreign teams many times abroad, and we've watched and analyzed their game videos repeatedly," He noted.

Para alpine skiing and Para snowboard also feature strong lineups, reflecting years of investment in training and infrastructure since Beijing 2022.

Zhang Mengqiu, a two-time gold and three-time silver Paralympic medalist at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, is taking on the sport again at the 2026 Games. 

"When I first arrived at the Paralympic venue, I felt a little nervous during training," Zhang told the People's Daily. "But once I pushed off for my first run, everything else faded away. All I saw were the gates and the finish line, and all I thought about was executing my technique perfectly." 

Zhang, who started alpine skiing training when she was 14, has earned praise from coaches, who call her a highly competitive and mentally strong skier who stays steady under pressure and often performs beyond her usual level.

"Over these four years, athletes from other countries have improved very quickly," she said. "I face plenty of challenges, but I still believe in myself and will give it everything I've got."

Beyond medals

He Yongju, head of winter sports for the Chinese delegation and deputy team leader of the wheelchair curling team, said that the delegation's mission is inspirational beyond medals.

"Our athletes come from all walks of life - workers, farmers, students, freelancers, and more. They have come together out of love for sports and pursuit of their dreams, and each of them carries an unyielding, never-give-up spirit," He was quoted as saying by China Sports Daily.

"The delegation has always upheld the spirit of self-improvement and striving for excellence. We will not only demonstrate our competitive skills but also showcase the spirit and character of China's athletes with disabilities."