American athlete praises barrier-free facilities at Beijing Paralympics

BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- After days of living and training in Beijing, American Paralympic ice hockey athlete Kyle Zych says he feels grateful for the barrier-free facilities installed ahead of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

"We're so lucky to experience such an amazing village and venue," Zych told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Zych added that the elevators are big and convenient to use in a wheelchair. He also found that the height of his bed is lowered and is easy for him to get on.

Zych was part of the U.S. team that won gold at the 2019 World Championships, and will make his Winter Paralympic debut in Beijing.

"This group has put in so much time and has sacrificed so much," Zych said. "We want to win a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Paralympics."

Zych said he wanted to make full use of the time ahead of the competition, and added that he is satisfied with the condition of the venues.

"The boys are so pumped to start competing," he said.