Hoping to grab a piste of history

At the last Asian Winter Games, Chinese athlete Man Dandan won gold in the women's 1.4-kilometer individual sprint classical, marking China's first gold medal at that edition of the Games. This year, the Chinese team is aiming even higher.

In alpine skiing, China has yet to claim a gold, having won only two bronze medals at previous editions of the Winter Asiad. However, the team made a breakthrough at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics by qualifying for all alpine skiing events. As the host nation for this year's Games, China is determined to achieve better results in alpine skiing.

While this year's Games will feature stalwart teams from China, Japan, and ROK in all events, Cambodia and Saudi Arabia will compete in some for the first time.

Zhang Haihua, deputy secretary-general of the Organizing Committee of the Asian Winter Games and vice-mayor of Harbin, noted that alpine skiing has seen the highest number of registrations, with 25 countries and regions participating, including nations from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, have all signed up.

"This reflects the rapid growth of winter sports in Asia, especially since the Beijing Winter Olympics," Zhang said. "With the successful hosting of this year's Asian Winter Games, we believe the reach and influence of winter sports in Asia will continue to expand, turning 'cold ice and snow' into a 'hot sport' in the region."

Contact the writer at liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn