Paralympic chief closes Winter Games

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea: International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons on Sunday declared the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics closed, and paid tribute to late British physicist Stephen Hawking as an “inspiration”.

At a spectacular ceremony that featured dancing, music and light shows, the curtain was officially brought down on nine days of sporting action.“The time has come for me to declare the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games closed,” Parsons said. Hawking, who died last week aged 76, is fondly remembered by Paralympians as he opened the 2012 London Paralympics. Parsons paid tribute to the scientist as “a genius of a man, a pioneer and inspiration to us all”.

“While Hawking tested the limits of his imagination, Paralympians, you have once again pushed the boundaries of human endeavour,” he told the audience. Towards the end of the ceremony, the Paralympic flag was handed over to the mayor of Beijing — which will host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The United States beat Canada with a dramatic overtime goal to win sledge hockey gold in Pyeongchang Sunday, a fitting finale to high-octane sporting action at the Winter Paralympics. The curtain was due to fall on the Paralympics at a closing ceremony in the evening, capping the nine-day Games that have featured sports ranging from vision-impaired skiing to wheelchair curling. Team USA topped the medals table, with a total of 36 medals including 13 golds. Canada also did well, picking up eight golds while France and Germany won seven each.

The Winter Paralympics broke records with ticket sales topping 340,000. Its other standout moments ranged from North Korea’s debut to the many tales of disabled athletes fighting against the odds for sporting glory.The sledge hockey final was the most hotly anticipated showdown of the Games, as defending Paralympic champions the United States took on reigning world champions Canada.