Kawayoke bears Japanese flag as Winter Paralympics close

By Akiko Yoshinaga / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

14:42 JST, March 14, 2022

The closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Paralympics on Sunday began with the image of a giant vinyl record on the ground showing highlights of the Games. Film director Zhang Yimou was the director of this ceremony, as he was for the opening ceremony and for the opening and closing of the Olympics.

Flag bearers from 46 countries and regions then made their entrances. Taiki Kawayoke, 21, who won a gold medal in para standing cross-country skiing, was the second to appear, holding Japan’s national flag.

Japanese athletes including Momoka Muraoka, 25, who won three gold medals in women’s sitting Alpine skiing, and standing Alpine skier Noriko Kamiyama, 49, Japan’s oldest athlete in the Games, waved to spectators and took pictures with their smartphones.

Japan took home seven medals in total, with Muraoka also grabbing a silver and Taiki Morii, 41, obtaining two bronzes.

The Paralympic flag was taken from Beijing to the next host cities, Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy. The fire was extinguished in the Paralympic cauldron, which was decorated with a snowflake motif, bringing the Games to a close.