Xinhuanet, Beijing, March 4 (Xinhuanet) -- According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation, the 20th Winter Olympic Games for the Hearing Impaired opened in Erzurum, Turkey, a few days ago. The Chinese team won the second and third places in the women's individual 5km traditional cross-country skiing competition, achieving a "zero breakthrough" in the individual cross-country skiing event medals at the hearing-impaired Winter Olympics.
At the opening ceremony held on the evening of the 2nd local time, the Chinese hearing-impaired Olympic delegation, led by the two flag-bearers of the hearing-impaired Winter Olympics curling champion Wang Mingming and Meng Yifei, waved the national flag and entered the opening ceremony amid the cheers of the audience. The flame was lit in the first way and opened in International Sign Language (IDEAF) President Adam Cosa in International Sign Language.
The cross-country skiing event officially started on the 3rd. This time, the Chinese team sent a total of 5 athletes to participate in the competition, including 3 male athletes and 2 female athletes. In the women's individual 5km traditional race, the Chinese team Zhang Weiqin and Mao Xiangxiang dared to fight and move forward bravely, showing the Chinese speed on the snow track and winning the first place in the event respectively.
The second and third places achieved the "zero breakthrough" of the individual cross-country skiing medals in the hearing-impaired Winter Olympics.
The Deaf Olympics is one of the three major categories of comprehensive sports events for the disabled in the world, and has a history of 100 years since 1924, when the International Sports Federation of the Deaf first organized the Deaf Games (the predecessor of the Deaf Olympics). At present, it has held 24 Summer Olympics for the Hearing Impaired and 20 Winter Olympics for the Hearing Impaired. This is the fourth time that the Chinese deaf Olympic delegation has participated in the Winter Olympics for the deaf, and the Chinese men's and women's curling teams have won the championship in the Deaf Winter Olympics.
The hearing-impaired Winter Olympics will end on the 12th local time, with a total of 6 major events including alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, snowboarding, chess and futsal, with more than 500 athletes from more than 30 countries and regions participating. China sent 27 athletes to compete in four major events: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling and snowboarding. Among them, the mixed doubles event of curling became an official event of the hearing-impaired Winter Olympics for the first time and started ahead of schedule, and the Chinese team won 4 wins in 5 matches before the opening ceremony.
*: Xinhuanet Editor: Xuan Jia Review: Zhang Xuefei, Zhang Zhengdan.