Sports center trains disabled athletes for Rio Paralympics

The Chinese delegation to the Rio Paralympics is preparing for the games in the Sports Management Center for the disabled in Shunyi, Beijing. The center’s accessibility features and delicious food help the athletes concentrate on training. The sports center covers an area of 240,000 square meters, and features automatic doors, wheelchair access and blind sidewalks.

Qian Hongyan from Yunnan said that it was very convenient to travel around in the center, and that the lifts really impressed her: “one life can carry four wheelchairs”, she said.

There are different kinds of food in the canteen, including traditional Chinese dishes, deserts and fruits. Notices on the nutritional analysis of the food are posted on the entrance of the canteen so that athletes can get a clear idea of the composition of the food they eat. Professional dietitians offer suggestions, and the canteen provides food from different parts of China to suit the taste of all athletes.

This is the third year that the sports center has offered preparation services for the Chinese Paralympics delegation. Athletes in swimming, wheelchair basketball, weightlifting, track and field, and boccia are training in the center.