Asian Winter Games: Li’s golden start, Gao’s speedy record cap China’s perfect day

A late replacement for the injured Eileen Gu, Li Fanghui claims title of her own as China end day just ahead of South Korea in medal race

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China’s Li Fanghui competes in the women’s freeski halfpipe final at the Asian Winter Games. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:35pm, 8 Feb 2025Updated: 9:35pm, 10 Feb 2025

Corrected [2:43pm, 10 Feb, 2025]

[2:43pm, 10 Feb, 2025]
This story originally said Aerin King finished 16th in the women's slalom, she was 14th.

Li Fanghui only arrived in China four days ago as a late replacement for the injured Eileen Gu, she ended up claiming her country’s first gold of the Asian Winter Games – and a Saturday that began with a wave of South Korean victories ended with the hosts top of the medal table.

The absence of the double Olympic gold medallist had briefly cast an early shadow over China’s preparations, but Li’s dominant display in the freeski half-pipe was as close to Gu-like as it may have been possible for the 21-year-old to get.

Her triumph was quickly followed by that of teenager Zhang Xiaonan, who swept away the competition in the snowboard slopestyle just down the mountain at Yabuli Ski Resort.

Their success was echoed by the cross-country skiers, with Wang Qiang and Li Lei winning the men’s and women’s sprint classics, and the latter sported an all-China podium.

There was an Asian and Games record to celebrate as well, with speed skater Gao Tingyu’s 9.35 seconds in the men’s 100m bettering the 9.47 posted moments before by Kazakhstan’s Yevgeniy Koshkin.

China’s Gao Tingyu celebrates after winning the men’s 100m in record time. Photo: Xinhua

“I won my first medal in the ISU World Cup right here at this venue nine years ago, also in men’s 100m,” Gao said. “It felt so good coming back here and the venue suits me just fine.”