Zhang Qinghong breaks men's 100m T63 national record at 12th National Paralympic Games

Track and field events began at China's 12th National Paralympic Games in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on Tuesday.

The events were welcomed in with a traditional Yingge, dragon and lion dance. Following that performance, athletes and coaches entered the stadium, before the China Disabled Persons' Federation Chairman Cheng Kai officially opened proceedings.

Three local sprinters competed in the women's 100-meter T64 final, which ended with Jiang Yanhong reaching the finishing line first in 14.99 seconds and securing the gold medal on her first appearance at the Games.

In the men's 100m T63 final, Liaoning's Zhang Qinghong topped the podium and also broke the national record. He took a slight trip as he crossed the line but he bounced back up to receive congratulations from his fellow athletes for his victory and new record time of 14.52 seconds.

"I pressed forward too hard with my center of gravity when I touched the finish line and couldn't control it. So I fell down," Zhang said. "I feel so happy and so excited right now because four years of my efforts have paid off. We have to overcome a lot of difficulties in training because we wear prostheses. If we don't pay enough attention to controlling our center of gravity, we may fall. There are other problems like chafing in the stump. But I have beaten them and made the past four years of hard work worth it."