Chinese para-cycling team gears up for upcoming Paris Paralympics

The Chinese para-cycling team is undertaking scientific preparation and intensive trainings ahead of the upcoming Paris Paralympics, in striving for the best achievements in track and road cycling events.

Cycling is the third largest source of gold medals at the Paralympic Games, trailing only athletics and swimming. Eight athletes from China's para-cycling team will compete for a total of 22 gold medals.

The Paralympic cycling competition is divided into track events and road events. The track events consist of the individual time trial and the individual pursuit. The road events include the road individual time trial and the road race.

Athletes with disabilities compete in the Paralympic Games using specialized bicycles, tricycles, and hand-cycles.

Liu Qiangli is currently the top-ranked athlete in men's H5 cycling event in China. He is also the first male competitor in this class to represent China at the Paralympics.

"On behalf of my country, I want to achieve a good performance and make historical breakthroughs at the competition," said Liu.

Thirty-two-year-old Li Xiaohui has been active in the arena since taking up para-cycling at 14. She has earned the top podium spot at the Asian Para Track Cycling Championships, the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and the Hangzhou Asian Para Games. This year's Paralympics in Paris marks her inaugural appearance on the Paralympic stage.

"You will eventually enjoy every bit of cycling. This sport has brought a lot of changes to me, it gives me the determination to keep forging ahead along this path, which I have continued for 18 years," said Li.

As the competition approaches, the training enters the final sprint stage. Based on the athletes' respective characteristics, the coaching team crafted individualized training plans.

"Training is one of the keys (to win). To set the athletes up for success in the arena, we must also make sure that our job is done in a meticulous and all-round way, paying attention to both their psychological state and competitive capacity," said Li Peng, head coach of the Chinese para-cycling team at the Paris Paralympics.

In addition to refining the athletes' technical skills, the cycling team this year also installed recording equipment on the bikes. By tracking the athletes' heart rate and other physiological and biochemical indicators, the team conducted a comprehensive analysis of the athletes' physical condition and made tailored training plans. Meanwhile, the team also collaborates with the research group from Capital University of Physical Education and Sports to ensure the athletes achieve optimal training results with an appropriate intensity.

"Blood and morning urine are tested regularly. Coaches are guided to use load capacity and load intensity properly. Athletes' fatigue recovery is tracked over a long period of time. Athletes' psychological changes at different stages are effectively monitored and timely adjusted. Our team is multidisciplinary, including sports psychology, sports physiology, sports rehabilitation, and comprehensive biomechanics support. We conduct long-term tracking and monitoring of athletes' sports technique correction, movement process monitoring, physical fitness, physiological and biochemical indicators to ensure the scientific training of athletes," said Li Xin, a professor of Capital University of Physical Education and Sports.

The Paris Paralympic Games will run from Aug 28 to Sept.8 , and the Chinese Paralympic delegation has arrived at the Paralympic Village in Paris. The Games will feature 22 sports and 549 events and China's 284 athletes will compete in 19 sports and 302 events.

Chinese para-cycling team gears up for upcoming Paris Paralympics

Chinese para-cycling team gears up for upcoming Paris Paralympics

The Sudan conflict now in its fourth year has pushed millions into poverty, even forcing some families to rely on animal fodder to survive.

Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023, following months of escalating tensions between Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army chief and head of Sudan's ruling council, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the RSF commander and al-Burhan's former deputy.

Nearly 6.9 million Sudanese were pushed into extreme poverty in 2023 alone, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Currently, around 70 percent of the population are estimated to live in poverty in the country, compared with 38 percent before the war, said UNDP Resident Representative in Sudan Luca Renda.

At the Tawila Camp in North Darfur State, Salha Musa, a displaced widow from El Fasher, is struggling to provide her six children with minimal resources.

Water is available from wells, but other essential services are absent. Inflation and scarcity have forced families to rely on unconventional foods. Everyday staples have disappeared from local markets, leaving vulnerable families at risk of malnutrition.

"Since we arrived in Tawila a month ago, we've been suffering from a severe lack of services, except for water, which we draw from wells. We have no other services here, and we desperately need assistance. Our children aren't receiving an education, and I'm a nurse, but I can't find work," said Salha.

The UNDP warns that Sudan's economy has collapsed under the weight of the ongoing conflict, with GDP falling sharply and more than 13 million people displaced. Extreme poverty rates now surpass those of the 1980s.

"Life is incredibly difficult for us poor people. If we don't have money, what are we supposed to do? Will we starve to death? After the price of corn flour became so high, we stopped buying it. I don't know why they're raising prices or hoarding goods. Flour has completely disappeared from the markets here. After that, flour became expensive and unavailable," said Summia Ahmed, another displaced woman from El Fasher, adding that her family has even started relying on "Ombaz", a kind of animal fodder, as their food.

UNDP projections show that peace could lift millions out of extreme poverty, but delays and continued conflict risk locking the country into decades of low growth and deprivation.

For families like Salha's and Summia's, the road ahead remains uncertain, as conflict continues to dictate daily survival in Sudan.

Sudan conflict pushes millions into poverty