China dominates Winter Paralympics with 6 golds, leads medal tally

China continued its impressive performance on the second day of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympics, securing six golds, three silvers, and one bronze on Sunday.

Liu Zixu of China competes during the men's individual sitting final of para biathon at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Tesero, Italy, March 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

With a total of 16 medals, including eight golds, China now leads the medal standings, followed by Ukraine with three golds and Austria with two by the end of Sunday.

This edition has already become China's most successful overseas Winter Paralympics in terms of medal tally since the country made its debut at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games in the United States.

At the Cortina Para Snowboard Park, para snowboarder Wu Zhongwei claimed victory in the men's snowboard cross SB-LL1 category on Sunday. During the race, he was nearly thrown off balance after two competitors collided and dropped to their knees just ahead of him. Wu managed to stay composed, skillfully navigating around them and overtaking leader Noah Elliott of the United States in a stunning finish.

Ji Lijia successfully defended his title in the SB-UL class of men's snowboard cross, maintaining a dominant position throughout the final, while his teammate Zhu Yonggang clinched second place.

Meanwhile, at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, Chinese athletes dominated the para biathlon individual event, claiming four golds. Cai Jiayun and Wang Yue each captured their second individual gold in the men's standing and women's visually impaired categories, respectively. Liu Zixu took gold in the men's sitting category, while Dang Hesong finished first in the men's visually impaired classification.