The cauldron was extinguished on one of the formidable Winter Paralympics in historical past Sunday, with “hopes of peace,” and two years into the COVID-19 international pandemic that made simply attending to the Video games a herculean effort.
Canada produced its second-best efficiency in historical past — exceptional contemplating the massive hurdles posed by the pandemic.
Worldwide Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons delivered a speech about unity with conflict raging in Ukraine, saying “Variations right here didn’t divide us.
“By this unity we’ve hope,” he stated. “Hopes for inclusion, hopes for concord and importantly hopes for peace. Humankind hopes to dwell in a world the place dialogue prevails.”
Alpine skier Mollie Jepsen carried Canada’s flag into the closing ceremony to Beethoven’s “Ode to Pleasure” on the Hen’s Nest stadium, calling it the “honour of a lifetime.” The 22-year-old from West Vancouver, B.C., gained silver and gold regardless of racing on torn knee ligaments that can require surgical procedure as soon as she returns residence.
Beijing is the second Paralympics to be held through the international pandemic. Canadian athletes confronted a number of the world’s greatest hurdles to get the Video games, as a result of tight journey restrictions that restricted alternatives to compete and strict lockdowns that closed coaching services.
And so, Canada did not set a medal goal for Beijing. It was too robust to gauge how the workforce stacked up in opposition to the remainder of the world.
However capped by a silver Sunday by Canada’s Para-hockey workforce and bronze in cross-country snowboarding’s combined relay, the workforce heads residence with 25 medals — eight gold, six silver and 11 bronze. It is Canada’s second-best winter medal haul after the 28 captured 4 years in the past in South Korea.
“It is a huge success on so many ranges,” stated Canada’s chef de mission Josh Dueck. “I am completely tickled pink.
“I take into consideration every of the person performances which have accrued to that time. And like all Video games, there’s moments of glory, the place we go to the rostrum ceremony, and we hear the anthem. And there is additionally these moments the place there’s been close to misses or the overall misses which are additionally vital too, as a result of everyone’s displaying up and supporting each other.”
Canada’s Nordic workforce led the way in which with 14 medals. Brian McKeever, a 42-year-old from Canmore, Alta., capped his spectacular profession with three gold medals. He has 16 profession victories, tying Gerd Schoenfelder of Germany for probably the most titles by a male winter Paralympian. Natalie Wilkie, a 21-year-old from Salmon Arm, B.C., skied to 2 gold, plus a silver and bronze, whereas Mark Arendz of Hartsville, P.E.I., added a gold, silver and two bronze for 12 profession medals.
Just like the Summer time Paralympics six months earlier, the Winter Video games posed distinctive challenges amid strict pandemic protocols that meant no pals or relations may very well be in attendance. All members had been examined every day, whereas entry within the “closed loop” system was restricted to inns, venues and media centres.
“What I take into consideration greater than the medal rely right here is how, due to the distinctive occasions that we’re in, with out family and friends, and all the opposite tensions, it is cast the workforce in ways in which perhaps it is by no means been earlier than,” stated Dueck, a three-time Paralympic medallist in sit-skiing. “We have needed to depend on one another in methods which elevated the entire program.”
The Video games had opened with an impassioned plea for peace after Russia — with the help of Belarus — invaded Ukraine simply eight days earlier. Russia and Belarus, initially permitted to compete, had been banned in an unprecedented reversal by the Worldwide Paralympic Committee a day earlier than the Video games opened.
Ukraine’s workforce of simply 20 athletes captured an unimaginable 29 medals to complete second behind host China’s 61 — 18 gold, 20 silver, and 23 bronze — many arriving after a harrowing four-day journey.
“It is humbling, and it is emotional,” Dueck stated of Ukraine’s presence on the Video games. “It is arduous realizing that we’re excited to go residence to our household and realizing that they could not have a house to go to, or they could not have household there.
“So, once we see the depth and the ferocity that they compete with, as a result of they’re competing with all of their coronary heart and in ways in which perhaps we do not even perceive, it is arduous to grasp. It is arduous to explain. It is highly effective and really humbling to be within the presence of individuals which are going by such problem that I do not assume any of us really perceive how difficult and the way terrible it have to be.”
Parsons, who made a passionate plea for peace on the opening ceremony March 4 — a lot of which was censored on China’s state-run broadcast — was extra refined Sunday.
“You promised easy, protected and splendid,” he informed the Beijing organizing committee. “You delivered beautiful, safe and spectacular.”
To the almost 600 athletes from 46 international locations, he stated: “Throughout the darkest of occasions, your performances shone brightly. Moderately than depend on historical past, you created it. On ice and on snow, you produced moments of magic and moments to savour. Within the face of adversity, you confirmed power in variety.”
Governor Basic Mary Simon thanked Canada’s workforce of 48 athletes plus 4 guides for “showcasing Canadian excellence to the world.”
“The Paralympics enchantment to the perfect in us. The dedication that’s required to turn into a Paralympian requires nothing lower than constant effort over a lifetime. To persist by harm, setbacks, lack of motivation, and numerous different hardships,” Simon stated in an announcement.
“This angle represents the spirit of ajuinnata, @an Inuktitut phrase meaning, amongst different issues, to by no means surrender! Paralympians are shining examples of this idea. Your perseverance and arduous work reminds us all of our potential skill to show adversity into power.”
The Paralympics ended a close to six-week run of worldwide sports activities within the Chinese language capital that started with the opening of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 4.
It additionally ends a run for Asia of internet hosting 4 of the final eight Olympics and Paralympics, beginning with the 2008 Beijing Summer time Video games.
The subsequent Summer time Olympics and Paralympics are in 2024 in Paris, adopted by Winter Video games in Milan-Cortina, Italy in 2026.
