On Tuesday, December 9, track and field events kicked off at the Chinese mainland's 12th National Paralympic Games in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.
The opening ceremony featured a traditional Yingge, dragon and lion dance, followed by athletes and coaches streaming into the stadium. Cheng Kai, chairman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, officially opened the competitions.
In the women's 100-meter T64 final, local sprinter Jiang Yanhong soared to gold with a time of 14.99 seconds on her Games debut.
Liaoning's Zhang Qinghong stunned fans in the men's 100m T63 final, breaking the national record with 14.52 seconds. A slight trip at the line didn't stop him from celebrating his victory.
I pressed forward too hard with my center of gravity when I touched the finish line and couldn't control it, so I fell down.
Zhang said.
I feel so happy and so excited right now because four years of my efforts have paid off. We had to overcome difficulties in training because we wear prostheses — controlling our center of gravity is crucial, and chafing in the stump can be painful. I have beaten these challenges and made my hard work worth it.
Reference(s):
Track and field events begin at 12th National Paralympic Games
cgtn.com
