Paralympic flame passes hands as torch enters “closed-loop bubble”

The final phase of the Torch Relay for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games was held inside the “closed-loop management system” on Thursday. (People’s Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

The final phase of the Torch Relay for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games was held inside the “closed-loop management system” on Thursday, a system that has encompassed all Winter Games venues while ensuring the separation of people involved in the Games from members of the general public.

First lit up on March 1 at Stock Mandeville, a village northwest of London, the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, flames for the Paralympics were then illuminated at eight different locations a day later in schools, libraries, and historical landmarks located across the three Winter Paralympics’ competition zones in Beijing and Zhangjiakou. These flames were then brought together and united at the Temple of Heaven in the Chinese capital.

“I think the Chinese government, the public and the organizing committee did a terrific job in getting things done. Sports for us is more than just athletic performances, it showcases to the world what a person with disabilities can achieve,” International Paralympic Committee Vice President Duane Kale told People’s Daily Online.

Kale also spoke highly of the facilities and equipment for athletes with disabilities in Beijing.

“The hotels and the villages are very accessible. We could not be more delighted to be here,” said Kale.

The torch will enter the final stretch of its journey on Friday, with 565 torchbearers expected to participate in the event simultaneously at the Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou competition zones.

Every physically challenged soul contains a whisper of light. Thanks to the Paralympics, such a light will not dwindle from the public’s sight. Bearing the torch against prejudice, Paralympians worldwide will gather in Beijing and pursue their Paralympic dreams.(People’s Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

Beijing is the first city to host the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games torch features a gold inner ribbon, with silver outside. (People’s Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

Martina Caironi, a 32-year-old Italian Paralympic athlete and a gold medalist who competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and 2016 Summer Paralympics, is one of the torchbearers inside the "closed-loop bubble". (People’s Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

Duane Kale, Vice President of the International Paralympic Committee, holds up the 2022 Winter Paralympics torch. (People’s Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)