Chinese Paralympians eye on 2026 Winter Paralympics

LANZHOU, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- After several hours of skiing and shooting, Yang Qianru, a 23-year-old disabled biathlete, finished training at noon with her ski suit soaked with sweat, while her teammates still chased each other.

Over fifty disabled biathletes and cross-country skiers who came from across the country have been training in a national snow sports training base in Baiyin City of northwest China's Gansu Province since this January.

"All of us are eager to improve our performances in winter," said Yang, adding that her wish in the new year was to continue preparing and improving for the 2026 Winter Paralympics.

In the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, Yang finished fifth in women's biathlon event as a visually impaired biathlete. "Although I can't see the world clearly, I just want the world to see me," Yang said.

According to the competition rules of the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, visually impaired biathlete must complete under the guidance of a guide. Biathletes use electronic air rifles to sense the accuracy of laser radiation and use sound frequency as a feedback signal to adjust the angle and finish shooting.

He Xiaobing, a national technical official (NTO) at the Beijing 2022 and the general manager of the Gansu national snow sports training base, introduced that the base had finished the renovation of disability-friendly facilities and the construction of snow tracks by the end of 2023.

"I hope that all athletes can adjust their sports performances in the base," said He.

This national training base was built in late 2019, containing a skier service center with over 100 rooms, a 75,000-square meter ski resort, and indoor training hall and a biathlon field.

The base had held China's national cross-country skiing and biathlon events during the past three years, and it had seen Chinese Paralympians preparing here for the Beijing 2022.

Yang said that the facilities were excellent as the biathlon shooting range was similar to that for the Beijing 2022. The food and accommodation also meet the standards of different snow events.

"The cross-country skiing track is very professional, and that will help me enhance my endurance," Yang said.