Liu Zixu finished first in the Para biathlon men's sprint sitting race with a time of 18 minutes and 51.5 seconds, earning China's first gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games on Saturday.

"I was doing it for real. I was distracted by nothing and fully concentrated on the competition," said Liu after the victory.

Liu, 24, began in 2017 training in such winter sports as Para cross-country skiing and Para biathlon, in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. He underwent amputation in 2008 after a car accident, and joined the Shaanxi provincial team in 2013 to train in the discipline of para-archery.

"I'm very thankful to my teachers and coaches. It took me half a year to fall in love with archery with their guidance and help," said Liu, recalling the beginning of his athletic career. 

His archery skills were of much help to his training in Para biathlon, as it did save him much time in the event's shooting section on Saturday.

Liu's parents told Xinhua News Agency after the victory that he loved Para biathlon so much after engaging in this sport that he would never leave the training facility till the last minute.

This was the first gold medal for the host nation at Beijing 2022 and only the second gold medal in Paralympic history for China after its first-ever gold, which came from wheelchair curling at PyeongChang 2018.

Liu will next compete in two other events, in Para biathlon and Para cross-country skiing. "I will try my best in those disciplines and hope I can have more good results," Liu said.

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)