China continues dominance with strong displays at Asian Winter Games

Chinese athletes continued to build on their momentum on the second day of the ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, capturing an impressive seven gold medals across a variety of events on Sunday.

The excitement started with Xu Mengtao, China's reigning Olympic freestyle skiing champion, who soared to victory in the women's aerials final. Having previously claimed silver 18 years ago at the sixth Asian Winter Games in Changchun, Jilin Province, Xu quickly moved into the top spot in the rankings in Harbin, on her way to finishing with a triumphant score of 90.94 points.

Her compatriot, Chen Xuezheng, followed closely behind to secure silver, while Kazakhstan's Ayana Zholdas took home bronze.

The host nation's dominance continued in the men's aerials final, where home skiers swept the podium. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics champion, Qi Guangpu, enjoyed a strong start to seize the lead after the opening round. But his compatriot Li Xinpeng showcased exceptional skill to ultimately grab the title with 123.45 points. Yang Longxiao claimed silver, while Qi had to settle for bronze.

China also reigned supreme in the women's five-kilometer cross-country skiing freestyle final by sweeping the top four positions. Bayani Jialin clinched the gold medal for China, in a victorious time of 12 minutes, 7.5 seconds. Following closely behind were compatriots Dinigeer Yilamujiang, who snagged silver, and Chi Chunxue, who garnered bronze. Chen Lingshuang completed the strong performance by crossing the line in fourth place.

China put together a clean sweep in the ski mountaineering events as well. In the women's sprint, Cidanyuzhen delivered a powerful performance to secure the gold medal. Her compatriots were not far behind, as Yu Jingxuan picked up silver, while Suolangquzhen bagged bronze.

On the men's side, Xinjiang skier Buluer grabbed the gold, while Zhang Chenghao finished with silver and Bi Yuxin completed China's sweep with bronze.

Indoor competition saw China maintain its impressive form in the short track skating events. In the women's 3,000 meter relay, 31-year-old Olympic champion Fan Kexin led the home quartet, which included compatriots Gong Li, Zhang Chutong and Wang Xinran. Facing tough competition from South Korea, the hosts delivered an outstanding performance to clinch the gold. Gong executed two crucial overtakes against Kim Gil-li, with her final attempt sealing the title for China in a time of 4 minutes, 11.371 seconds. Kazakhstan followed in second place, while Japan rounded out the podium in third.

Earlier in the day, China's Zhang Chutong clinched a bronze medal in the women's 1,000 meter race, while South Korea's Choi Min-jeong placed first and Kim Gil-li snagged runner-up honors. In the men's 1,000 meter event, China's Liu Shaoang also earned a bronze medal, with South Korea's Jang Sung-woo taking home gold and Park Ji-won pocketing silver.

The action concluded with a dramatic turn of events in the men's 5,000 meter relay, as a foul by Park Ji-won led to Lin Xiaojun falling in the closing moments. The incident resulted in the home foursome finishing with bronze, while the South Koreans were disqualified from the race. Kazakhstan ultimately emerged victorious, followed by Japan in second place.