Chinese athletes stormed the podium on the opening day of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, showcasing dominance across multiple disciplines. The host nation secured eight gold medals in speed skating, short track, freestyle skiing, and snowboarding – setting the stage for a thrilling week of competition in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.
Snow Sports Shine Bright
Li Fanghui made history by landing China's first gold in the women's freeski halfpipe, scoring 95.25 points with a gravity-defying third run. Teammate Zhang Kexin took silver (89.25), while South Korea's Jang Yu-jin claimed bronze (85). Snowboarder Zhang Xiaonan then dominated the slopestyle final, beating silver medalist Xiong Shirui by a staggering 20-point margin.
Ice Events Deliver Record-Breaking Performances
Speed skater Gao Tingyu smashed the men's 100-meter Games record (9.35s), outpacing Kazakhstan's Yevgeniy Koshkin. Ning Zhongyang followed by rewriting the 1,500-meter record (1:45.85), leaving Japanese rivals Kazuya Yamada and Ryota Kojima trailing. The women's 1,500-meter saw a Chinese podium sweep, with Han Mei (1:57.58), Yang Binyu (1:58.06), and Yin Qi (1:58.09) securing all medals.
Short Track Surge
Lin Xiaojun powered through the men's 500-meter short track final in 41.150 seconds, edging out South Korea's Park Ji-won and Jang Sung-woo. Cross-country skiers Li Lei and Wang Qiang completed China's golden haul by winning their respective sprint classic finals.
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Chinese athletes off to a good start at 9th Asian Winter Games
cgtn.com
