BEIJING — Led by flag-bearers Ina Forrest and Greg Westlake, Canada has entered the Bird’s Nest stadium at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Paralympics.
Forrest is a two-time gold medallist in curling, while Westlake is a gold medallist in hockey and is making his fifth Paralympic appearance.
The 13th Winter Paralympics opened after a tumultuous week due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia and Belarus were initially told they’d be permitted to compete, but under a neutral banner.
A day later, the International Paralympic Committee made an unprecedented reversal, announcing a ban of the two countries amid the threat of boycott from athletes from numerous countries.
Canada has 49 athletes competing in hockey, curling, alpine and Nordic skiing and snowboarding over 10 days in Beijing, which is the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Games. The Winter Olympics closed on Feb. 20.
Canada captured 28 medals — eight gold, four silver and 16 bronze— in Pyeongchang four years ago.
Some 650 athletes from 46 national Paralympic committees are competing in Beijing, including 20 athletes from Ukraine.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2022.