HARBIN, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Jinqiang, head of the Chinese delegation at the Harbin 2025 Asian Winter Games (AWG) and vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, praised the outstanding performance of Chinese athletes, highlighting their remarkable achievements and the significant strides made in the development of winter sports in China.
China sent its largest-ever AWG delegation to Harbin, comprised of 170 athletes participating in all 64 events across 11 disciplines and six sports. With a total of 32 golds, 27 silvers, and 26 bronzes, China topped both the gold and overall medal standings, setting new historical records.
"The 32 gold medals match the record for the most golds in a single edition, previously set by Kazakhstan at the 2011 Asian Winter Games, while the total medal count of 85 surpassed Kazakhstan's previous record of 70 medals in a single edition," Zhou shared in an interview at the Games' Main Press Center on Friday.
Zhou believes the performance of Chinese athletes at the Harbin AWG signifies a new trend in the balanced development of winter sports in China.
"The 32 golds were distributed across four major sports and seven disciplines, with 13 golds in ice sports and 19 in snow sports," he explained. "Notably, snow sports surpassed ice sports in gold medals for the first time, with speed skating, freestyle skiing, and ski mountaineering emerging as dominant forces in Asia." He added, "This shift highlights the comprehensive development of China's winter sports since the successful bid for the Beijing Winter Olympics."
Zhou also stressed the emergence of several young winter sports talents at the Games. "Young gold medalists like Zhang Xiaonan (women's snowboard slopestyle, 18), Xiong Shirei (women's snowboard Big Air, 17), Li Xinpeng (men's freestyle skiing aerials, 20), and Liu Mengting (women's Freeski slopestyle and Big Air, 20) demonstrated remarkable courage and resilience in their respective events," Zhou noted. "They not only gained confidence but also laid a strong foundation for the development of their disciplines in China."
Despite the outstanding performance in Harbin, Zhou emphasized the importance of staying grounded in preparation for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games next year.
"While China's performance at the AWG was impressive, it still lags behind global standards in winter sports, with notable gaps in training, talent development, and the establishment of robust coaching and youth systems," Zhou stated. He further noted that China's dominance remains largely confined to disciplines such as short track speed skating, freestyle skiing, and snowboarding, while other areas, like figure skating, face challenges in talent development and international competitiveness.
"As attention turns to Milan, China must address these gaps and continue striving for greater achievements on the global stage," Zhou concluded. ■
