Heritage Flame lighting for Beijing Winter Paralympic Games

A flame for the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games was lit in Stoke Mandeville, a Buckinghamshire village northwest of London, on Monday, just four days ahead of the opening of the Games.

The flame is called the Paralympic Heritage Flame, as Stoke Mandeville is the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. In 1944, Ludwig Guttmann, a German-born English neurosurgeon, took charge of the National Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville. He organized an archery contest among 16 disabled patients on July 29, 1948, and it evolved into the International Stoke Mandeville Games and finally the Paralympic Games.

During the lighting ceremony, Countess Howe, Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, said the lighting of the Paralympic Heritage Flame will continue to link the story of Stoke Mandeville and will be shared with the athletes competing in Beijing.

"Beijing has the unique distinction of becoming the first city to host both the summer 2008 and winter Paralympic Games. I would like to congratulate and thank the Chinese for managing to host the Games so successfully under the incredibly challenging circumstances of the pandemic," she said.

Her view was echoed by Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee, who is on his way to Beijing.

"I was fortunate to be in Beijing for the 2008 Paralympic Games, and China set new standards for the games to be delivered and create supporting structures to allow para athletes to reach their full potential," Parsons said in a pre-recorded video.

Zheng Zeguang, China’s ambassador to the UK, said that the Chinese government regards the health and safety of all participants a top priority.

"We will make every effort to provide a sound competition environment for Paralympic athletes, and present to the world a streamlined, safe and splendid Paralympic event," said the ambassador.

The flame was lit by two wheelchair curling athletes, Angie Malone and Aileen Neilson, in the drizzle. It will join the other eight flames collected from Beijing, Yanqing District and Zhangjiakou, to become the official flame for the Beijing Games.

The Beijing Winter Paralympics opens on March 4 and closes on March 13.