Roundup: China sets new medal record, Thailand wins first-ever medal at Asian Winter Games

Liu Mengting (C), Yang Ruyi (R) and Han Linshan of China celebrate after the women's freeski slopestyle final at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Yabuli, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

China has achieved its best haul of medals at a single edition of the Asian Winter Games as Thailand claimed its first ever medal.

HARBIN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- China set a new record for the most medals won by the country's delegation in a single Asian Winter Games, while Thailand secured its first-ever medal on Tuesday.

Ten gold medals were awarded on Tuesday, with China claiming six golds, five silvers, and five bronzes to bring its total medal count to 70. This surpassed the previous record of 61, set at the 2007 Asian Winter Games in Changchun.

China's record-breaking moment came in the women's freeski slopestyle final, where Liu Mengting won gold and Yang Ruyi and Han Linshan took silver and bronze, respectively.

"I've been preparing for the Asian Winter Games for a long time and have participated in various international competitions this year," Liu said after the final.

With the 2026 Winter Olympics less than one year to go, the 20-year-old has set her sights on this showpiece event. "I really want to stand on the podium at the 2026 Winter Olympics. I am well prepared and quite confident," she said.

China added another gold in freestyle skiing, as Feng Junxi and Wang Xue, along with Chen Meiting and Xu Mengtao, secured a 1-2 finish in the women's aerials synchro. Kazakhstan's Ardana Makhanova and Ayana Zholdas claimed bronze.

Feng Junxi/Wang Xue (L) of China celebrate after the freestyle skiing women's aerials synchro final at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Yabuli, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 11, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

In the men's aerials synchro final, Kazakhstan's Roman Ivanov and Sherzod Khashirbayev won the country's first gold in snow events at the Harbin Games, while China's Geng Hu and Yang Yuheng took silver, and Li Xinpeng and Qi Guangpu earned bronze.

Japan's Rai Kasamura won the men's freeski slopestyle title, with his teammate Ruka Ito taking silver. Thailand's Paul Henri Vieuxtemps made history by winning bronze, the country's first-ever Asian Winter Games medal.

Vieuxtemps said he was "deeply honored to have won Thailand's historic first medal", adding that "I've done my best and successfully executed the most challenging trick."

"Before my final run, I took a moment to breathe deeply, calm my nerves, and mentally rehearse the tricks I planned to perform for my last chance."

China's speed skating team wrapped up its competition with a dominant performance, winning all four gold medals contested on the day. Ning Zhongyan set a new Games record in the men's 1,000 meters with a time of one minute, 8.81 seconds. South Korea's Cha Min-kyu came second, and China's Lian Ziwen grabbed bronze.

Ning Zhongyan of China celebrates after the men's 1,000m final match of the speed skating event at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 11, 2025. (Photo by Lan Hongguang/Xinhua)

In the women's 1,000-meter final, China's Han Mei and Yin Qi finished one-two, with South Korea's Lee Na-hyun taking bronze. China also triumphed in both the men's and women's team pursuit events. South Korea and Japan took silver and bronze in the men's pursuit, while Japan and South Korea finished second and third in the women's event.

Elsewhere, South Korea's Ekaterina Avvakumova won the biathlon women's 7.5-kilometer sprint, with China's Meng Fanqi and Tang Jialin finishing second and third. In the men's 7.5-kilometer sprint, Kazakhstan's Vladislav Kireyev and Vadim Kurales took gold and silver, while China's Gu Cang earned bronze.

After Tuesday's events, China leads the medal tally with 27 golds, 13 silvers, and 20 bronzes. South Korea follows with 12 golds, 12 silvers, and 11 bronzes, while Japan sits third with five golds, six silvers, and 10 bronzes.