Soaring among the stars

China starting to make some gains

Chinese competitors remain upbeat despite all of them falling in the preliminary round of the Air and Style snowboarding event held in Beijing on the weekend.

Three Chinese boarders took part in the competition this year, joining another 27 world-class athletes in the first round to fight for 16 berths in the semifinal.

"It is really a pity that I didn't make it, but I am very happy with my performance," said Zhang Tianhao, a first-timer at the event.

Zhang landed a backside 720 no crab and was ranked 12th after the first of three jumps.

He Wei, who has competed in the event since 2013, said the gap between domestic boarders and those from the traditional powerhouses in Europe and North America is still huge - but China is catching up.

"A few years back, most people in China still knew very little about the sport but now they are coming to the stadium to cheer for us," He said. "We now spend a lot of time training overseas, which helps us grow very quickly."

Since coming to Beijing in 2010, the event has brought the sport's most elite athletes to the capital, with this year's lineup featuring Sochi Olympic bronze medalist Mark McMorris of Canada and compatriot Sebastien Toutant, a former Air and Style winner.

Beijing is the first leg of the Air and Style this season. Thanks to its increasing popularity in China, the event is sponsored by Vita Coco, a leading coconut water brand.

The second leg will be held in Innsbruck, Austria, on Feb 3-4 and the third in Los Angeles on Feb 18-19.