The president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said on Tuesday that he could not be more excited about the coming Winter Paralympics starting on March 4 and is counting the hours to get to host city Beijing. Brazilian Andrew Parsons praised the just concluded Winter Olympics, saying that it was just incredible to deliver the games during a pandemic. "The strategy designed by Beijing 2022 and the Chinese government worked really well. We had very few cases of COVID even with a new variant, even with the Omicron, which was not, let's say, around, for example, during the Tokyo Summer Games," Parsons said. He said the closed-loop strategy proved to be very successful, so athletes are probably about to be in the safest place on earth during the Paralympic Games. "I think it was a huge success. I think Chinese people should be very proud of the Olympics. And we are very excited for the Paralympics because we have seen fantastic Olympic Games. And we know China and Beijing 2022 who will deliver fantastic Paralympic Games as well and above all safe games," he said. Parsons praised the venues for Beijing 2022 as incredible. "We have seen them during the Winter Olympics. Some of the venues are iconic venues from the 2008 Games transformed. So, for those of us who have been there, during the Summer Games in 2008, it will be amazing to see the Water Cube, turning to the Ice Cube, for example," he said. Parsons sent a message to all para-athletes during the interview. "My message, first of all, is (to) enjoy it because there is an experience of a lifetime for all. They will be in this. We have been working hard, and China's Beijing 2022 organizing committee, they have been working really hard to provide a safe environment," he said. He encouraged athletes to focus on one thing only – competing at the highest possible level. "They don't have to worry about COVID. They can focus on delivering what they have been preparing themselves for years to deliver. Just to enjoy, have fun, play fair," Parsons said. "But above all, recognize the huge effort made by China and the Chinese population. It's super difficult to deliver what China is delivering and we should be grateful for them." 无微不至的关怀与体贴 昨天（23日）下午，延庆冬奥村正式闭村。下午2时，延庆冬残奥村进入预开村状态。延庆冬残奥村场馆运行团队介绍，场馆各业务领域需要在44小时内完成近95项转换目标。目前，还有包括住宿区无障碍改造在内的大约40项转换任务正在加紧完成。 北京冬奥（冬残奥）村这个“运动员之家”，不久前完成了全要素测试，其中一个场景就是检验运送残奥运动员流线，包括无障碍设施接驳是否方便。冬残奥会期间，村内会有近百辆班车服务运动员，其中40辆为福祉车，即拆除了座椅的无障碍车辆。交通场站已经设置了无障碍坡道，方便轮椅运动员上车。另外，冬奥（冬残奥）村还专门开发了无障碍智慧服务平台，赛时通过手机App为残疾人提供无障碍路线导航。客房内，灯具、空调、窗帘可使用App或智能控制面板控制。
The venues for the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics are divided into three zones, Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou. The National Aquatics Center is scheduled to host wheelchair curling beginning on March 5th. The venue has added a temporary ramp that's more than 130 meters long with a gradient so many athletes can enter at once. The National Biathlon Center also plans to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. Organizers are also using technology to make the Paralympics accessible. Athletes can use mobile phones to navigate barrier-free routes and the Games will be broadcast with a sign language digital robot. 推荐阅读： 北京2022年冬奥会，开幕！ 北京2022年冬奥会，精彩不落幕！ 巴赫盛赞北京冬奥会已非常成功 暖心！冬奥赛场上的那些跨国“神仙友谊”