"Welcome home!" Applause filled the VIP Hall 2 at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at around 2 PM on September 11th as Guangdong's athletes who participated in the 17th Summer Paralympics returned home from Paris, laden with honors. Guangdong Disabled Persons' Federation held a ceremony to celebrate the athletes' triumphant return.
At this year's Paris Paralympics, the Chinese sports delegation won 94 gold, 76 silver, and 50 bronze medals, totaling 220 medals overall. This remarkable achievement secured China's position at the top of the gold and overall medal tables for the sixth consecutive Paralympics. The Guangdong athletes contributed significantly to this success, winning 12 gold, 8 silver, and 4 bronze medals (with 12 athletes winning bronze across 4 events). Two athletes set new world records, equaling the best-ever performance by Guangdong athletes at the Paralympics.
"Mom, I want to see the gold medal and take a bite!" exclaimed the child of Pan Jiamei, who won the women's doubles table tennis gold medal at the Paris Paralympics. Pan's husband and child had traveled from Foshan to greet her with flowers. Her child couldn't resist touching and even biting the gold medal hanging around the mother's neck.
"Before I went to Paris, my child told me he wanted to see the gold medal and take a bite. His wish became my motivation. Winning this gold medal fulfilled both his and my dreams," Pan Jiamei said. She hopes to balance her training with family responsibilities and looks forward to winning more gold at the 2025 National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the National Special Olympic Games (NSOG).
The allure of competitive sports lies in surpassing oneself, but it also comes with moments of solitude away from the spotlight. At the welcome ceremony, 35-year-old boccia veteran Zheng Yuansen was moved to tears. This was his fourth Paralympics, and despite his thorough preparation, he narrowly missed out on a medal.
"I have some regrets, but the passion and love for this sport still burn within me. I started playing boccia when I was 20, and now I'm 35. Fifteen years of my youth have been dedicated to this sport. It's my mission, and I am determined to fulfill it," said Zheng Yuansen, choking back tears. In 2025, the 15th National Games, the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG will be held in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Zheng plans to continue pursuing his dream on the court.
In the Paris Paralympics, Guangdong maintained its leading position in several strong events. In cycling, five athletes from Guangdong won a total of 3 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze medals. In table tennis, Guangdong's three athletes won 3 gold and 3 silver medals. In archery, two athletes from Guangdong secured 2 gold medals.
Women's wheelchair basketball was a key team event for the Chinese delegation, with nine athletes from Guangdong making up three-quarters of the national team, the highest representation from the province in any sport. The Chinese women's wheelchair basketball team won the bronze medal at this year's Paralympics.
Guangdong also achieved breakthroughs in some of the more challenging events. After an 8-year hiatus, 34-year-old Zhou Guohua returned to the Paralympic track and field stage, breaking the world record in the preliminary round of the 4x100m mixed relay with a time of 45.09 seconds. The team went on to break the record again in the final with a time of 45.07 seconds, securing the most prestigious gold medal in athletics.
Guangdong athletes also made history in niche events. Lin Ximei won the gold medal in the individual boccia event, and Lan Zhijian won gold in the team event, marking the first time that China has won Paralympic gold in boccia and creating a historic milestone for the sport.
Source: Lingnan on the Cloud
