Sports Programme and Athlete Quotas Confirmed for Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games

Beijing 2022 has welcomed the International Paralympic Committee’s confirmation of the sports programme and athlete quotas for the nextBeijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, which could be the largest ever and see equal numbers of men’s and women’s medal events for the first time.

Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games will feature a maximum of 748 Para athletes and up to 82 medal events – two more than the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. It is expected to have 39 medal events for men, up to 39 events for women (pending a decision on the snowboard programme), and four mixed events.

There will be up to 234 slots available for women. If all slots are taken, it will represent a 76 per cent increase from the 133 women who competed in PyeongChang.

The IPC made the announcement following its Governing Board’s approval of the medal event programme and athlete quotas at a meeting in London on 25 January 2019.

“This announcement underlines our desire to pursue gender parity in the Paralympic Movement,” IPC President Andrew Parsons said of the decision. “I hope our National Paralympic Committees respond by investing more in the development of female winter sport Para athletes.”

“With the majority of events now confirmed, Para athletes can begin to really look forward to what will be spectacular Games in China,” Parsons said.

Beijing 2022 fully supports the IPC decision to add two new medal events and significantly increase female participation in the Games, which reflects the healthy growth of the Paralympic Movement.

“The added medal events will not require additional venues but will maximise the use of the venues already planned, in line with Beijing 2022’s commitment to a sustainable Games,” said Yang Jinkui, General Director of Beijing 2022’s Paralympic Games Integration Department.

“With the new medal events and updated athlete quotas, Para athletes will have more opportunities to build friendship and inspire the world with sporting excellence in Beijing,” Yang said.

Confirming the medal events and athlete quotas is a major milestone in the lead-up to the Games. Beijing 2022 will earnestly carry out work in all aspects of Games preparations according to the needs of the final sports programme and athlete quotas, and strive to deliver a truly fantastic Paralympic Winter Games.

Fast facts on Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games

• 82 medal events (39 male, 39 female* and 4 mixed)

• A maximum of 748 athletes (514 male and 234 female)

• Alpine skiing: 30 medal events (15 male, 15 female); 140 male and 80 female athletes

• Biathlon and cross-country skiing: 38 medal events (18 male, 18 female, 2 mixed); 120 male and 90 female athletes

• Para ice hockey: 1 medal event; 136 male and 8 female athletes (teams have an option to include an additional female player in their roster of 17 players)

• Snowboard: up to 12 medal events (6 male, 6 female*); 70 male and 44 female athletes

• Wheelchair curling: 1 medal event; 48 male and 12 female athletes (each team must have a minimum of one female player)

* Pending four snowboard events meeting Paralympic viability standards at the 2019 World Championships