Cai Xuetong continues to enjoy snowboarding 20 years into her career

Chinese world snowboarding women's halfpipe champion Cai Xuetong secured her first National Winter Games gold medal at the event in the 20th year of her career on February 17 at the 14th edition of the Chinese National Winter Games in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Having reached another milestone of her career, Cai said she felt very much relieved and she can now enjoy snowboarding with a relaxed state of mind.

Cai was recruited to the Chinese snowboarding team in 2004 and admitted that she had never expected to still be competing now, two decades later.

"I think it's my love for snowboarding that has been motivating me to continue," she told Xinhua News Agency. "Now it's more than a sport or a halfpipe contest for me. Snowboarding has given me a relaxed state of mind and is a type of lifestyle for me. I go to wherever there is snow all the year round and snowboard in different mountains. I have been enjoying this."

Cai recalled that she was very keen to outdo others in snowboarding when she was young. "Back then, I wanted nothing but good results," she said. "I wanted to become a world champion, a Winter Olympic gold medalist. I was obsessed with learning to do new tricks and felt happy once I mastered one without caring about my style."

As Cai improved her performance, she had more opportunities to participate in international competitions. Having communicated more with foreign athletes and coaches, she had a better understanding of the sport, realizing that good snowboarders displayed themselves in their performance.

Cai has been looking more powerful, more open and more confident of her performance in recent years. "When I watch other snowboarders perform these days, even if they don't win a medal or advance to the final, I still enjoy their different styles."

Cai spoke highly of 12-year-old Zhou Yizhu who also participated in the National Winter Games. The rise of the young generation not only gives her reasons to believe the future of China's snowboarding is bright, but also motivates her to keep a positive state of mind and keep finding ways to make the sport fun.

Having won three World Championships and 14 World Cup titles, Cai is one Winter Olympic gold away from winning everything possible in her career. She came in fourth at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, which was her fourth edition of the Winter Games.

"Who doesn't want to win an Olympic gold?" Cai told Xinhua. "But I realized at the Winter Olympics in Beijing that sometimes I just can't win it. Investing a lot of effort doesn't mean you will necessarily get on the winner's podium.”

However, that doesn't mean Cai has given up. "I still have the potential to win the gold, so I want to continue. I hope I can participate in the Winter Olympics in 2026. That will probably be my last chance."