Two decades ago, when Chinese Paralympic athlete Fu Chunshan moved around on his crutches, the national flag on his skiing jacket would often peel at the edges or fall off entirely. With few resources and little funding, his team had no official outfitter and had to stick the flag on with adhesive tape.

"Before each competition, athletes from around the world would gather and gear up together in the preparation tent. We could not help looking on with envy as some European teams arrived with a full army of wax technicians, coaches, guides, team doctors and equipment managers," Fu said.

That memory, from the Turin 2006 Winter Paralympic Games in Italy, has stuck with him for 20 years. In that time, he has transitioned from a para cross-country skiing athlete to a coach, and has witnessed his nation's steady progress in bringing more people with disabilities into winter sports and achieving athletic excellence on the international stage.

At the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics, held from March 6 to 15 in Italy, the Chinese delegation topped the medal table with 15 gold, 13 silver and 16 bronze medals. It was China's best performance at an overseas Winter Paralympics since its debut in Salt Lake City in the United States in 2002.

Chang Zheng, vice-president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation and deputy head of the Chinese delegation, said China sent 70 para athletes to compete in 73 of the 79 events across six sports. "The extensive participation reflects a boom in engagement in ice and snow sports among people with disabilities," he said.

"Behind the team's sporting excellence lies the indomitable spirit of our para athletes, as well as a large group of skilled coaches, support staff, guides, technicians, medical and rehabilitation personnel, and scientific researchers," Chang added.

Of the 15 gold medals, the para cross-country and biathlon team that Fu coaches contributed 11.

"Foreign athletes now acknowledge our arrival with remarks like 'Here comes China'. During races, rival coaches will push their own athletes by pointing out that a Chinese competitor is ahead of them," Fu said. "The team's sporting success this year is beyond my dreams."

Fu, 42, lost his right leg in a childhood accident. He began training as a cross-country skier in the early 2000s and was one of eight athletes on China's delegation at Turin 2006. His best performance as an athlete came at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Paralympics, where he finished ninth.

"At that time, I was shy, intimidated and tended to crouch in a little corner to prepare for the race quietly," he said. "The mere arrival of some foreign teams, slick and well-equipped, was a formidable sight in itself."

What Chinese para athletes relied on, Fu said, was primarily mental toughness. "Regardless of inclement weather or poor snow conditions, we just went out, gave it everything and hoped to demonstrate what we had trained for," he said.

"At the same time, our early experiences overseas enabled us to observe and learn the drills of the world's best athletes firsthand — what equipment they used, how they waxed and how they maneuvered on the snow," he added.

Sometimes, Fu questioned himself: "Is it that we Asian athletes are somehow inherently incapable of rivalling Western athletes?" "But I soon waved off my doubts and concluded that the gap came down to inadequate training and support," he said.

A turning point came in 2015, when Beijing and the neighboring city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. "At the time, I set a goal of drafting a batch of athletes and helping them stand on the Paralympic podium," Fu said.