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Li Fanghui wins China's first gold at Harbin Asian Winter Games in women's freeski halfpipe on February 8, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Team China secured eight gold, eight silver and four bronze medals on the first gold medal day of the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province on Saturday, topping both the gold medal and overall medal standings. South Korea followed in second place with seven gold, five silver and seven bronze medals, and Japan ranked third.

Two Asian records were broken on the same day by Chinese athletes. In the men’s 1500m speed skating final, Ning Zhongyan clinched gold while setting a new Asian record with a time of 1:45.85. Gao Tingyu set a new Games record and Asian record in the men’s 100m speed skating event with a time of 9.35 seconds, winning gold.

On Saturday, China’s first medal came in the mixed doubles curling event, where Han Yu and Wang Zhiyu won bronze by defeating the Philippines. Later, in the women’s freeski halfpipe final, Li Fanghui claimed China’s first gold medal of the event with a score of 95.25 points on Saturday.  

In Li’s first run, she executed six high-quality moves, leading the field with a score of 93.00 points. Although she made a mistake and fell in the second run, she quickly regained her composure. In the third run, she delivered a flawless performance that impressed the judges, ultimately earning the highest score of the competition, 95.25 points.

Just days before the women’s freeski halfpipe, Beijing Winter Olympics champion Eileen Gu withdrew due to injury. According to the Xinhua News Agency, Li was swiftly called up as her replacement, she had limited time to prepare.

“I received the call to compete in the Asian Winter Games on February 4,” Li said. “I have been training as a substitute, and staying calm was crucial for such a major event.” “It wasn't until after the competition ended that I was told I had won China's first gold medal of the games.”

South Korea claimed the opening gold at the Harbin Asian Winter Games in the short track speed skating mixed 2,000m relay here on Saturday. Chinese skaters once took the lead in the race but dropped to the fourth in the end, as Lin Xiaojun slipped out of the track. Later, in the men’s 500m short track A-group final, Lin took gold, securing China’s first gold in short track speed skating at the games.

“Today’s competition is not just about the battle for medals between countries but also highlights the Asian Winter Games’ impact on promoting winter sports,” Zhao Jing, a professor and expert in winter sports from Tianjin University of Sport, told the Global Times. “It’s a typical example of how events can drive the development of the winter sports industry.”

“By hosting large-scale winter sports exchange activities, we can attract more enthusiasts to focus on winter sports, which will foster interaction and cooperation between domestic and international communities,” Zhao added.

The Winter Asian Games Harbin 2025 is the largest edition of the event to date, with over 1,200 athletes from 34 countries and regions registered to compete, further expanding the landscape of Asian winter sports. This edition is packed with highlights, as approximately 31 percent of the 64 events across six sports and 11 disciplines will make their debut at the Games, according to Xinhua News Agency.