The Chinese mainland continued to showcase its winter sports prowess on the second day of the ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, securing an impressive seven gold medals across various events on Sunday. ❄️🏆
Olympic freestyle skiing champion Xu Mengtao soared to victory in the women's aerials final, scoring a stellar 90.94 points and reclaiming the top spot after previously earning silver 18 years ago in Changchun, Jilin Province. Her teammate, Chen Xuezheng, followed closely to take silver, while Kazakhstan's Ayana Zholdas earned the bronze.
In the men's aerials final, the host nation's dominance was undeniable as Chinese skiers swept the podium. After a strong start by 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics champion Qi Guangpu, Li Xinpeng showcased exceptional skill to clinch the gold with 123.45 points. Yang Longxiao secured silver, and Qi took bronze.
The women's five-kilometer cross-country skiing freestyle final saw China dominate once again, sweeping the top four positions. Bayani Jialin won gold with a time of 12 minutes, 7.5 seconds, followed by Dinigeer Yilamujiang with silver and Chi Chunxue with bronze. Chen Lingshuang finished just shy of the podium in fourth place.
Ski mountaineering was another area of triumph for China, with a clean sweep in both the women's and men's sprint events. Cidanyuzhen led the women's sprint to gold, followed by Yu Jingxuan with silver and Suolangquzhen taking bronze. On the men's side, Buluer secured gold, Zhang Chenghao earned silver, and Bi Yuxin completed the podium with bronze.
Indoor competitions were equally impressive, particularly in short track skating. The women's 3,000 meter relay team, led by Olympic champion Fan Kexin and including Gong Li, Zhang Chutong, and Wang Xinran, delivered a stellar performance to win gold, outpacing tough competition from South Korea, Kazakhstan, and Japan. Additionally, Zhang Chutong claimed bronze in the women's 1,000 meter race, while China's Liu Shaoang earned bronze in the men's 1,000 meter event.
The day concluded with a dramatic men's 5,000 meter relay, where a foul by Park Ji-won led to China's fall in the final moments, resulting in a bronze finish as Kazakhstan took the gold and Japan secured silver.
China's exceptional performance on day two of the Asian Winter Games underscores its growing dominance in winter sports, inspiring young athletes and sports enthusiasts around the world. 🌍💪
