China tops the Paralympic table in Cortina

The Winter Paralympics concluded on March 15, 2026, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, with China finishing as the highest-ranked team on the medal table. The AFP report says the closing ceremony also included the handover of the Paralympic flag to the organizers of the 2030 Winter Games, formally passing the event to the next host city cycle.

The headline result is straightforward: China topped the table at the end of the Games. That standing is the clearest competitive takeaway in the evidence packet, and it marks the country’s strongest overall performance in the medal rankings for the event. The source does not list exact medal counts, so the report stays with the verified conclusion rather than adding unsupported totals.

The closing ceremony matters just as much as the standings. Every Paralympic Games ends with a symbolic transition, and the flag handover is the moment that turns one host’s farewell into the next host’s responsibility. In this case, the ceremony in Cortina marked both an ending and an introduction, with the 2030 organizers taking over the symbolic baton.

The result also fits the broader rhythm of the Winter Paralympics, where medal-table leadership often reflects sustained depth across multiple disciplines rather than one standout performance. The evidence identifies China as the top team, but it does not break down which events delivered the advantage. That keeps the focus on the final classification and the closing ceremony rather than speculation about the path there.

With the Games complete, attention now shifts to the 2030 hosts. But the closing day in Cortina left one clear competitive story behind: China ended the Winter Paralympics at the top of the medal table.

The handover of the Paralympic flag is one of the most recognizable rituals in the closing ceremony, and it gives the Games a visible sense of continuity. The current host finishes its chapter, while the next host is formally welcomed into the cycle. In that sense, the closing day in Cortina was not only about medals but also about what comes next for the movement.

China finishing first in the medal table also speaks to the breadth of competition in the Winter Paralympics. Medal standings are usually built across multiple sports and classifications, so topping the table suggests consistency rather than a single standout moment. The evidence packet does not provide the event-by-event breakdown, which means the responsible report keeps the focus on the final ranking and the ceremonial transition at the end of the Games.