Not long after the Olympic Games concluded in Beijing on February 22nd, there was another competition ready and waiting to commence. The Winter Paralympic Games happen immediately following the conclusion of the Winter Olympic Games in the same host venue. Like the Winter Olympics, competitors from all over the world participate in multi-sport snow and ice events. At the Paralympic Games, athletes living with a range of disabilities such as amputation, blindness and cerebral palsy, among others, display incredible stamina and determination as they compete.
The 2022 Winter Paralympic Games ran from March 4-13. Norway finished with a total of 7 medals, one shy of the goal of eight medals according to chef de mission Cato Zahl Pedersen, himself a former Paralympic athlete. He describes this year’s Norwegian contingency as “few in number, but high in quality.”
Norway’s Jesper Pedersen took home four gold medals and one silver medal in the slalom and Super-G events at these Games, the biggest medal winner for Norway this time around. Pedersen credits his late father with helping him learn how to ski in 2001 so these medals are particularly meaningful. Pedersen first skied independently in Beitostolen, Norway in 2007.
Vilde Nilsen. Photo Credit: Geir Olsen / NTB
In the field of cross-country skiing, Norway earned two medals in the Para Cross-Country Skiing events. Vilde Nilsen earned silver in the Women’s Sprint Standing (Free) event and Team Norway took gold in the Open 4 x 2.5 km relay. Previously a biathlete, Nilsen opted to focus on the cross-country piece these Games and rest the weapon-training element with good result.
In all, the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games had a feeling of hope, inspiration and unity among the athletes. You can watch for the next Paralympic Games in Paris, August 28 through September 8, 2024.