Zhou Jinqiang, vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee and head of the Chinese delegation, praised the outstanding performance of Chinese athletes at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. 🏂⛸️
China sent its largest-ever delegation of 170 athletes competing in 64 events across 11 disciplines and six sports. The team secured an impressive tally of 32 gold, 27 silver, and 26 bronze medals, topping both the gold and overall medal standings and setting historical records. 🥇🥈🥉
\"The 32 gold medals match the record for the most golds in a single edition, previously set by Kazakhstan in 2011, while the total medal count of 85 surpasses the previous record of 70,\" Zhou highlighted. This achievement signifies a new trend in the balanced development of winter sports in China.
The 32 golds were distributed across four major sports—13 in ice sports and 19 in snow sports—marking the first time snow sports surpassed ice sports in gold medals. 🏂⛸️ Speed skating, freestyle skiing, and ski mountaineering have emerged as dominant forces in Asia.
Zhou also celebrated the rise of young winter sports talents like Zhang Xiaonan (18, women's snowboard slopestyle), Xiong Shirei (17, women's snowboard big air), Li Xinpeng (20, men's freestyle skiing aerials), and Liu Mengting (20, women's freeski slopestyle and big air). Their remarkable courage and resilience not only earned them golds but also laid a strong foundation for their disciplines in China. 🌟
Despite the success in Harbin, Zhou emphasized the need to stay focused ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games next year. He noted that while China performed impressively at the Asian Winter Games, there are still gaps in training, talent development, and coaching systems that need addressing to compete globally. 🏔️🎿
Reference(s):
China's delegation chief praises athletes at Asian Winter Games
cgtn.com
