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Gao Tingyu competes in the men's speed skating 500-meter final at the 9th Asian Winter Games on February 10, 2025 in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Photo: VCG

The Chinese delegation on Monday bagged six gold medals on Day Three of the Harbin 2025 Asian Winter Games, bringing their medal haul to a total of 21 gold, 18 silver and 15 bronze medals to surpass their best record of 19 gold medals set at the Changchun 2007 Asian Winter Games.

Speed skating was the biggest contributor to the medal tally on Monday, as the Chinese skaters delivered three gold medals.

In the speed skating men's 500-meter final, Gao Tingyu, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics gold medalist in the discipline, continued his brilliant form. 

After a lightning-fast start and powerful acceleration, he maintained a stable rhythm throughout the race. In the end, he crossed the finish line in 34.12 seconds, breaking a Games record and successfully defending his title. 

His outstanding performance once again demonstrated his status as one of the top speed skaters in the world. Gao had previously won gold in the men's 100-meter sprint final with a time of 9.35 seconds, another Asian record. 

Along with Lian Ziwen and Ning Zhongyan, the trio also won a gold medal in the team pursuit.

From the start, they coordinated with each other, maintaining a high-speed rhythm. In the final sprint, they showed strong power and speed, crossing the finish line in 1 minute and 19.22 seconds to win. 

"We strive to show everyone China's achievements," Gao said after the race. "Speed skating is not just a stronghold of Western countries. Chinese athletes can also stand on the podium."

Ning, who has won two gold medals and will continue his campaign on Tuesday in the 1,000 meters event, said the Harbin tournament has helped him find the rhythm to compete internationally.

"The Asian Winter Games are serving as a test event for me ahead of the Milan Winter Olympics. It's also an opportunity to gain experience and get a feel for competing in major events," Ning said.

"My main goal is to challenge myself. I've already broken the Asian record in the 1,500 meters, and for the upcoming 1,000 meters, I'll maintain the same mind-set and strive to set another Asian record."

In the women's 3,000-meter final, Yang Binyu showed extraordinary endurance and speed. 

She kept a steady pace from the beginning of the race, gradually pulling away from her opponents. In the last few laps, she increased her speed and maintained a strong sprint, crossing the finish line in 4 minutes and 8.54 seconds to win the gold medal. 

Her teammate Han Mei and Tai Zhi'en took the silver and bronze medals respectively. 

"I have become more mature in terms of mentality. Through training, I have made significant progress and achieved growth in both my personal abilities and technical understanding. In the end, it felt like I had become a completely different person," Yang said after the win.

In the freestyle skiing aerials mixed team final, the Chinese team consisting of Xu Mengtao, Li Xinpeng, Qi Guangpu, Chen Meiting, and Yang Longxiao put on a remarkable display. 

Xu, the first to go, executed her aerial skills with grace and precision, scoring 82.84 points, which set a high-standard start for the team. 

Then, the 19-year-old rising star Li amazed the audience with his powerful jumps and smooth landings, securing a high score of 112.39 points. 

Qi, known for his high-difficulty moves, closed the competition with a magnificent performance, earning 110.41 points. 

With a total score of 305.64 points, the Chinese team dominated the field, winning the gold medal by a large margin over the Kazakh and Japanese teams. 

This victory also marked the first gold medal in the history of the Asian Winter Games for the Chinese freestyle skiing aerials mixed team.

The snowboarding women's big air final also witnessed the Chinese team's dominance as Chinese athlete Xiong Shirui led teammate Zhang Xiaonan to a top-two finish in the event.

It was also the second medal for both of them in this Asian Winter Games, as they had previously won gold and silver in the snowboarding women's slopestyle final.

In the men's big air final, Chinese athletes Yang Wenlong and Jiang Xinjie repeated the Chinese feat by finishing 1-2, a victory not only added another gold medal to the Chinese delegation but also demonstrated their strength in the snowboarding big air event.

As the Asian Winter Games continue until Friday, the Chinese delegation is expected to strive for more honors in the remaining events.