China tops medal table at World Para Athletics Championships

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China has topped the medal table at the 8th World Para Athletics Championships, taking home 30 gold, 17 silver and 18 bronze at the end of the competition in London on Sunday.

Xinhua News Agency reported that China's last five golds were won on the final day of the 10-day event championship.

The US ranks in second place with the UK coming in third.

Zhou Hongzhuan, Chinese athlete who took gold in women’s 800 meters T53 wheelchair racing. /VCG Photo

Zhou Hongzhuan, an athlete from Hebei Province, took gold in the women’s 800 meters T53 wheelchair racing, after taking bronze in the 100-meter competition on the same day.

“Although I was running with some strong competitors, I felt confident on the field,” said Zhou, who has already participated in the championship three times, “All I could think about was winning, the most important thing for me was keeping my mind eased."

In other events, Li Lu from Henan Province took the gold medal in the women’s 400 meters T47 wheelchair racing; Hou Zhanbiao from Hebei Province topped the men’s discus F46 competition; Zou Lijuan from Jiangsu Province bagged the gold medal in the woman’s javelin F34 competition; and the first place in the men’s 4 by 100 meters relay was taken by the Chinese team.

Athletes running at the 8th World Para Athletics Championships. /VCG Photo

“Our athletes performed great in this year’s championship while facing the change of weather and diet in a foreign country,” said Zhao Qian, vice director of China Administration of Sport for Persons with Disabilities and leader of the Chinese team.

“This championship provided us a great opportunity to train our team at the beginning of the Olympic cycle," she added.

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