China Sets Record, Thailand Makes History at 9th Asian Winter Games

China has set a new milestone at the 9th Asian Winter Games held in Yabuli, Heilongjiang Province, totaling 70 medals and surpassing its previous record set in 2007 of 61 medals. The Chinese delegation dominated competitions on Tuesday, obtaining six gold medals, five silvers, and five bronzes. Their history-making triumph culminated with an extraordinary performance in the women's freeski slopestyle final, as Liu Mengting claimed gold, followed closely by teammates Yang Ruyi and Han Linshan earning silver and bronze respectively. Liu expressed satisfaction with her long-term preparation and conveyed optimism for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.

Feng Junxi and Wang Xue added another gold for China, winning the women's aerials synchro freestyle skiing event, where fellow Chinese competitors Chen Meiting and Xu Mengtao secured silver. The bronze went to Ardana Makhanova and Ayana Zholdas of Kazakhstan. In the men's aerials synchro, Kazakhstan found success, capturing their first snow sport gold medal at the event through Roman Ivanov and Sherzod Khashirbayev, edging out the Chinese pairs of Geng Hu/Yang Yuheng and Li Xinpeng/Qi Guangpu, who earned silver and bronze respectively.

Japan celebrated success in men's freeski slopestyle through Rai Kasamura, who secured the gold, followed by his compatriot Ruka Ito earning silver. Thailand marked a historic moment as Paul Henri Vieuxtemps earned the bronze medal, the nation's first-ever medal at the Asian Winter Games. Vieuxtemps expressed pride and joy, detailing his mental preparation and perseverance in executing an advanced trick under significant pressure.

China's dominance continued in speed skating, capturing all four available gold medals on Tuesday. Ning Zhongyan broke the Games record for the men's 1,000-meter event, clocking a remarkable time of one minute, 8.81 seconds, with South Korean skater Cha Min-kyu taking silver and China's Lian Ziwen claiming bronze. Similarly, Chinese athletes Han Mei and Yin Qi earned gold and silver respectively in the women's 1,000-meter event, with South Korea's Lee Na-hyun securing bronze. The Chinese speed skating teams added two additional golds by winning both the men's and women's team pursuit, ahead of rivals Japan and South Korea.

In biathlon events, South Korean Ekaterina Avvakumova triumphed in the women's 7.5-kilometer sprint, narrowly surpassing Meng Fanqi and Tang Jialin from China. The men's 7.5-kilometer sprint saw Kazakhstan successfully clinch gold and silver through Vladislav Kireyev and Vadim Kurales, whereas China's Gu Cang collected bronze.

Following Tuesday's contests, China strongly leads the overall medal standings, boasting a total of 27 gold medals, 13 silvers, and 20 bronzes. South Korea ranks second with 12 golds, 12 silvers, and 11 bronzes, while Japan occupies third place with five golds, six silvers, and ten bronzes.