9th Asian Winter Games Open in Harbin, China, with Record Participation and Olympic Champions

The 9th Asian Winter Games commenced in Harbin on Friday night, with Chinese President Xi Jinping presiding over the festive opening ceremony. The event, held at the Harbin International Conference, Exhibition and Sports Center, witnessed over 8,000 spectators erupt in cheers as Xi declared the Games open. Dignitaries, including International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, graced the occasion.

The ceremony culminated with four torchbearers igniting the lilac-shaped cauldron at the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the world's largest ice and snow theme park. The torchbearers included two-time Olympic champion and short track speed skater Yang Yang, China's first male Winter Olympic gold medalist and freestyle skier Han Xiaopeng, Olympic race walk champion Wang Zhen, and Sochi Winter Olympics speed skating champion Zhang Hong.

The Harbin Games, held under the slogan "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia," mark another major international winter sports event hosted by China following the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. This is China's third time hosting the Asian Winter Games, after Harbin 1996 and Changchun 2007.

A record 34 countries and regions are participating in Harbin 2025, surpassing the previous high set at the 8th Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan in 2017. Over 1,200 athletes are competing in ice events in Harbin and snow events in Yabuli, exceeding the previous record of 1,147 at the Sapporo Games.

Star speed skater Ning Zhongyan and skier Liu Mengting, who made history by winning the women's big air gold at the FIS Freeski World Cup in January, proudly carried the Chinese national flag during the athletes' parade. The Chinese delegation comprises 257 members, including 170 athletes. Five Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic champions, Xu Mengtao, Qi Guangpu, Gao Tingyu, Fan Kexin, and Liu Shaoang, lead the squad of 85 men and 85 women competing across 64 events in six disciplines.