Hou Bin
Chinese Paralympic high jumper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hou Bin (Chinese: 侯斌; pinyin: Hóu Bīn; born 1975 in Jiamusi, Heilongjiang Province)[1] is a Chinese Paralympic track and field high jumper.[2] In 2008, he was named as a Paralympian Ambassador.[3][4]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  China | ||
| Paralympic Games | ||
 | 1996 Atlanta | High jump |
| 2000 Sydney | High jump |
| 2004 Athens | High jump |
He lost his left leg in an accident at the age of nine. He subsequently became a Paralympian, and represented China at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta. He won gold in the high jump with a jump of 1.92 metres. He successfully defended his title by winning gold again at the 2000 and 2004 Paralympics.[1]
Hou was selected to light the Paralympic flame during the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.[5][6] He lifted himself and his wheelchair up on a rope by strength of arms to the top of Beijing National Stadium, where he lit the cauldron to mark the beginning of the Games.[1][7][8][9][10]
Since retirement, Hou has become a motivational speaker,[11] and in 2013, he launched "Stand Up Again," a fundraising project for injured children who needed prosthetics after the Ya'an and Wenchuan earthquakes.[12]
