China's Paralympic sweepers shine bright, reigniting hopes for a more inclusive future
German flag bearers Christoph Schmiedt and Andrea Rothfuss carry the flag into the arena during the closing ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa China won 15 golds and 44 medals overall to top the table at the Winter Paralympics in northern Italy, which ended on Sunday with a closing ceremony boycotted by Ukraine and some other nations. Like the opening ceremony, countries including Ukraine, Lithuania and Estonia boycotted the finale because of Russian and Belarusian para athletes being able to take part under their own flags despite the war in Ukraine.
At the Winter Olympics last month, Russians and Belarusians had to compete as neutrals and prove they did not actively support the conflict. But the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) decided to lift a ban, causing outrage at the Games for disabled athletes. Ukrainians and Russians competed against each other over the past 10 days and the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee said that its athletes and coaches had been "subjected to systematic pressure" from IPC representatives.
They alleged Ukrainian flags had been taken away. An IPC spokesman said the body was surprised by the statement and that the Ukrainians had not expressed any concerns through any other channels except the media. The closing ceremony was a music and dance show inside the Cortina curling arena, at the end of which the flame was extinguished.
Russia finished third in the medals table with eight golds and hosts Italy were fourth with seven. Ukraine ended up seventh with three golds. Germany failed to breach the top 10 with two golds and 17 medals altogether putting them 11th, their worst placing in 50 years.
Artists perform during the closing ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa Artists perform during the closing ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa