IPC to recognize high ranking officials who aided with the organization of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will award the Paralympic Games Appreciation Token to a group of high ranking Chinese officials connected to the organization and staging of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

The individuals in line to receive the award are being recognized for their efforts to deliver a “successful, safe, and secure” Games according to the IPC.

Among those singled out for their contribution to the Games are Sun Chunlan, Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Cai Qi, President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Chen Jining, Mayor of Beijing.

The award will also be presented to Wang Zhengpu, Governor of Hebei Province, Zhang Haidi, President of China Disabled Persons’ Federation and the National Paralympic Committee of China, Zhang Jiandong, Vice Mayor of Beijing, Yang Shu’an, Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, and Han Zirong, Vice President and Secretary General of Beijing 2022.

IPC President Andrew Parsons commented, “on behalf of the whole Paralympic Movement, I would like to thank the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the city of Beijing, the Chinese Government and the National Paralympic Committee of China for delivering a stunning Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.”

He remembered his last visit to China, stating, “I was here in 2008 when China set the standard for the delivery of the Summer Paralympic Games. I am now witness in 2022 to another superbly organized Games, and one that sets a very high bar for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.”

Turning his attention back to Beijing 2022, Parsons stated, “across the board we have had fantastic feedback from the athletes, NPCs, International Federations and media for the standard of the Games.”

“From the stunning venues to the wonderfully enthusiastic volunteers, from the excellent quality of the Paralympic Villages to the extremely effective COVID-19 countermeasures, what the Organizing Committee has done has been a credit to the People’s Republic of China.”

Parsons concluded, “importantly these Games have built a legacy for inclusion, and we trust that the 85 million persons with disabilities in China will continue to benefit from Beijing 2022.”

The Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics were China’s most successful winter outing in history. The host country bagged 61 medals total, including 18 golds, adding to their previous tally of a single gold medal from PyeongChang 2018.

The run up to the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics was dominated by speculations of an international diplomatic boycott over China’s human rights record. However, global geopolitics arrived at the forefront of the Games after Russia initiated its invasion of Ukraine with the support of Belarus.

The IPC originally decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals, before making a dramatic turnaround and declining the entry of athletes from both countries.

Despite the tense political climate, the IPC went forward with the staging of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics.

At the conclusion of the Games, IPC President Andrew Parsons stated, “if Beijing 2008 started a new chapter of growth for the Paralympic Movement, then Beijing 2022 has marked a new dawn for the Paralympic Winter Games. You promised simple, safe and splendid. You delivered stunning, secure and spectacular.”