2022 Winter Olympics

Sunday's closing ceremony marked the end of the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics. Ukraine had a strong performance at the games and came in second place in the overall medal count despite war at home.

China has dominated the medal count at the last five Paralympic Games. That's in stark contrast with the low level of disability access in Chinese society.

"This was probably the most difficult Olympics of all time," NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua said, citing "very harsh protocols in China" because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NPR's team in Beijing put together moments and storylines that stuck out — including those that showed immense inner strength, athleticism and grace.

Diggins not only became the first non-European athlete to bring home a medal in the event, she's now the only American to bring back multiple cross-country medals from the same Olympics.

After 16 days and 109 events, the Winter Olympics officially ended Sunday with the traditional closing ceremony. Team U.S.A. finished with 25 medals in all.

"Athletes post-Olympics or post-retirement need a lot of support, a lot of people reminding them of their worth beyond just their athletic achievements and results," says therapist Holly Brooks.

The American team had asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to rule they can receive their medals while they await the results of a wider investigation into the Kamila Valieva doping scandal.

Authorities in China said they planted nearly 200,000 acres of forest and green areas prior to the Winter Games. But they also transplanted nearly 20,000 trees, which could endanger animal habitats.

Women are approaching gender parity at the Winter Games. They've also dominated news coverage because of powerhouse stars like Eileen Gu and because of tragic cases like Kamila Valieva.

After winning a silver and bronze in Beijing, the U.S. bobsledder now has five medals to her name. "It's so crazy to hear that stat and know that I'm part of a legacy that's bigger than me," she said.

"That was an incredibly troubling outcome," doping expert April Henning says of Russian skating star Kamila Valieva's collapse. She says Valieva "was failed at all levels" by the adults around her.