Paralympics close to end Asia’s run at center of world sport

BEIJING (AP) — The president of the International Paralympic Committee has expressed “hopes for peace”as the Winter Paralympics closed in Beijing but avoided mentioning Russia’s war on Ukraine. The closing ceremony marked the end of an almost six-week run for international sports in the Chinese capital that began with the opening of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 4. IPC President Andrew Parsons sounded a note of unity at the ceremony, saying “differences here did not divide us,” after Russian and Belarusian athletes were expelled early in the competition. The next Summer Olympics and Paralympics are in 2024 in Paris, followed by Winter Games in Milan-Cortina in 2026.