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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach resisted implementing any immediate changes despite speaking of concerns for minor athletes like Valieva.
"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.
A push has been underway to turn the sport into an Olympic competition. And while that effort fell short for 2022, skaters are hoping they can crack the next Winter Games when they're held in Italy.
