Asian Winter Games: 34 nations’ athletes arrive in China, as Harbin hits -24 degrees Celsius
China’s naturalised South Korean-born speed skater Lin Xiaojun among those taking part, along with Saudi skiers and Cambodian snowboarders
China will welcome a mix of world-class athletes and relative novices from desert and tropical nations when the Asian Winter Games officially open in the city of Harbin on Friday.
It is the ninth edition of the event, stretching back to 1986, but the first since 2017 and crucially comes with the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina a year away.
Harbin is in China’s northeast, towards the borders with Russia and North Korea, and temperatures were -24 degrees Celsius (-11 degrees Fahrenheit) during daytime on Wednesday.
A total of 1,275 athletes across 34 countries and territories have registered for the Games, organisers say. Competitors will battle for medals and continental glory in 11 disciplines.
Staples of the Olympics are in the week-long programme, including speed skating, figure skating, alpine skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey and curling.