Chinese para biathlon skier Zhao eyes gold after winning second place at Milan-Cortina

TESERO, Italy, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Zhiqing won silver in the para biathlon women's individual standing event at the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games on Sunday and was warmly cheered by spectators as she approached the finish line.

"I finished second in the event at Beijing 2022, as well as Milan-Cortina, I hope I can reach the highest position of the podium next time," the 28-year-old told Xinhua.

Born in 1997, Zhao lost her hands in an accident. She said the setback did not stop her.

"I have a twin sister. When I saw her practice riding a bike, I tried to study how to control them without hands," Zhao said.

"We are twins. I have a firm belief that I can do anything like her," Zhao added.

In 2017, Zhao began training in para biathlon and para cross-country skiing in Hebei Province of north China.

At the beginning, she said she often had blisters on her feet but tried not to miss training sessions.

She recalled falling during training as a junior skier and refusing help from her coach as she got up and continued toward the finish line.

"I am a person who never gives up, although I am disabled," Zhao said.

Para biathlon presents particular challenges for Zhao, as she cannot use ski poles and must adapt to shoot without fingers.

"I can't handle any stick in the resort, so I have to make my legs stronger, in order to make them take the role of the skiing sticks," Zhao said.

"In Chinese national team of para biathlon, my teammates practice their arms in the morning and enhance the strength of legs in the afternoon, but maybe it will take me longer time to train my legs," Zhao said.

In the para biathlon women's sprint standing on March 7, Zhao missed two shots and finished eighth. She said she focused on shooting in warmups before Sunday's race.

"In biathlon, if you can avoid suffering any shooting penalty, you will get a good result," Zhao said.

In the women's individual standing event, Zhao had a shooting penalty and lost about 20 seconds when her rifle jammed.

Zhao said her mindset has changed since Beijing 2022, but her determination has remained the same.

"If I can recover from the injuries in my waist and ankle, maybe I will continue my skiing career," Zhao said.

"If you wish to achieve something, it depends solely on your own efforts; if not now, then when?" reads a motto of the Chinese para biathlon national team.

Zhao said she knows the motto by heart and hopes to fulfill her dream in the future. ■