China sweeps Para snowboard men's cross SB-UL medals at Beijing 2022

CHONGLI, Zhangjiakou - Host nation China made a clean sweep of Para snowboard men's cross SB-UL medals at Beijing 2022 on Monday, with Ji Lijia topping the podium.

19-year-old Ji, who took up the sport in 2016, said, "I did not expect to get this gold medal. I'm very excited, it still feels like a dream."

"Six years of effort finally paid off today. It is so great to win glory for my motherland, which takes great care of the disabled," he added.

This is China's seventh gold at the ongoing Beijing Winter Paralympics.

In an all-Chinese four-person big final, the four Paralympic debutants competed tightly. In the middle of the race, 17-year-old Zhang Yiqi, who was lying third, lost his balance and fell down, knocking down his close follower Zhu Yonggang.

Ji thus beat Wang Pengyao, 21, to clinch the gold. Zhu, 19, got the bronze.

"It was amazing to compete with my teammates in the big final. We all tried our best in the competitions today. And I want to express my heartfelt thanks to our coaches and our motherland," Wang said.