Shen Yifeng of China celebrates following the team's victory during the Para Ice Hockey Open Team Tournament Bronze Medal Match between China and the Czech Republic at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on March 15, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Photo: VCG

The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council on Sunday sent a congratulatory message to the Chinese delegation for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, commending the delegation for leading both the gold and overall medal tables, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Finishing atop the medal table, the Chinese delegation delivered a record-breaking performance at the Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, which was set to conclude Sunday evening in Milan, Italy.

At the Games' closing ceremony, Chinese biathlete Cai Jiayun and wheelchair curler Wang Meng were set to serve as the flag bearers for the Chinese delegation. Both athletes are gold medalists at the Milan Games. China harvested 15 golds and a total of 44 medals, their best result at an overseas Winter Paralympics. This achievement follows the delegation's peak performance at the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, where they finished with 18 gold medals and a total of 61 medals.

Cai secured China's first gold medal of the Milan Games in the men's 7.5km standing biathlon final. With that strong start, the athlete, who transitioned from Paralympic cross-country skiing to biathlon, grew increasingly confident and maintained a good performance throughout the Games. He then went on to claim gold in the men's 12.5km standing biathlon as well as another gold in the men's sprint pursuit standing event.

The most exciting moment came in the men's sprint pursuit standing, where Cai trailed behind Ukraine's Grygorii Vovchynskyi for much of the race, only to overtake him in the final sprint and win by a razor-thin margin of 0.2 seconds. Thanks in large part to his performances, the Chinese Paralympic biathlon team finished with a total of 8 gold, 5 silver, and 2 bronze medals. It is also the team's best-ever record in biathlon at the Winter Paralympics.

Also on the snow, Zhang Wenjing claimed China's first gold medal in Paralympic alpine skiing at the Milan Games, winning the women's slalom sitting event. At the slalom standing, teammate Zhu Wenjing won a silver medal. Meanwhile, Liu Sitong became a consistent medal winner in Para alpine skiing, securing four bronze medals in the women's downhill sitting, super-G sitting, alpine combined sitting, and giant slalom Sitting events.

"From the perspective of the entire sport, the team's 2026 achievements reflect the overall ability of China's para alpine skiing. From PyeongChang to Beijing and now to Milan, both the number of athletes and their competitive level have shown leapfrog development," Lin Xiaokai, a sports commentator from Xiamen University, told the Global Times. "Especially Liu Sitong with her several medals, this kind of composure had a strong positive psychological impact on other team members." 

Meanwhile, in the cross-country skiing 4x2.5km open relay, the Chinese team staged a comeback. After sitting in third place following the first leg, they overtook both Germany and Norway on the final leg to snatch the title.

In ice events, featuring Wang Meng and Yang Jinqiao, the Chinese wheelchair curling team defeated South Korea 9-7 in the wheelchair curling mixed doubles final, claiming China's first Paralympic gold medal in this particular discipline. Notably, the pair have an age gap of 13 years; the gold medal they won also "showcases the mutual learning and synergy between the new generation and seasoned athletes," Lin told the Global Times.

After the match, 37-year-old Wang Meng told media that the pressure during the contest actually brought out their best performance. Meanwhile, Yang, 24, felt a release of pressure after securing the gold. "Two people also form a team. Together with our coaches, we strive to be of one mind," said Yang according to the Xinhua News Agency.

In the mixed team final, the Chinese wheelchair curling team narrowly lost to Canada 3-4 to take silver. The final was tightly contested throughout, with both teams exchanging attacks and defense. The score was tied at 3-3 after seven ends. In the eighth end, Canada secured a single point by a narrow margin to eventually claim the title.

The Chinese wheelchair curling team has long been considered the strongest contender for gold in the mixed team final. It achieved China's first-ever Winter Paralympic gold medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Games and successfully defended the title at the Beijing 2022 Games.

After the match, Chinese team coach Yue Qingshuang stated that the narrow defeat in the final was "worthwhile so we can thoroughly review and summarize it." Yue added that technically, the team should focus on improving "point and line, as well as strength," according to the China News Networks. 

Noting that "once the game is over, everything becomes history," Yue said, "We believe there is still a long way ahead, and we will continue to move forward steadily."