Shandong athletes secured 15 gold medals, six silvers, and two bronzes at the 5th Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, establishing a new record for the province’s best-ever performance at a foreign edition of the multi-sport event. The delegation of 16 athletes also broke three world records, one Asian record, and three Games records, surpassing their gold medal count from the previous edition in Hangzhou, according to provincial reports.
Nagoya Campaign Sets New Overseas Standard
The 5th Asian Para Games concluded on the evening of October 24 at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya. Shandong representatives contributed significantly to the Chinese delegation’s overall success, outperforming their output from the 4th Asian Para Games held in Hangzhou.
Athletes from the province demonstrated depth across multiple disciplines, securing medals and setting milestones in weightlifting, cycling, swimming, taekwondo, track and field, table tennis, badminton, goalball, and judo.
Record-Breaking Performances Across Disciplines
Weightlifter Cui Zhe set the tone on the opening day of competition by claiming victory in the women’s 41kg category, securing the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation at the Games. Veteran competitor Cui has regularly featured on Paralympic stages and managed long-term injury rehabilitation prior to her success in Nagoya.
Taekwondo athlete Li Yujie, who served as a female flag bearer for the Chinese delegation during the opening ceremony, captured gold in the women’s K44 57kg division. In cycling, Li Huiling swept three events across track and road cycling disciplines, breaking world records twice—during the 1,000-meter time trial preliminary round and the 4,000-meter individual pursuit. Li transitioned to cycling from winter Paralympic events just over two years ago.
Swimmer Zhang Meng finished as the most prolific gold medalist of the Games, sweeping all eight events she entered while managing balance difficulties stemming from her physical condition. First-time participant Sun Chuanzhen won gold in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S11 class while breaking an Asian record, alongside silver medals in the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter freestyle events. Competing with the assistance of a guide, Sun swam the pool to secure the podium finishes.
Liang Hongxia established a new world record in the women’s discus F11 final with a throw of 42.19 meters, utilizing refined technical execution honed through extended training. Additional podium contributors included Zhao Yiqing in table tennis, Xu Tingting in badminton, and Jia Shaokun in goalball, who each earned silver medals, alongside bronze finishes from Shao Qian in taekwondo and Chen Jin in the long jump.
Provincial Sports Administration Plans Future Development
The Shandong Disabled Persons’ Federation stated that the province will use the Nagoya Games as a benchmark to review training methods, enhance competitive infrastructure, and support the broader development of sports for individuals with disabilities. Officials highlighted goals to integrate competitive pathways with public fitness initiatives to encourage wider participation.
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