China's short track speed skating team gearing up for Asian Winter Games

With the 2025 Winter Asian Games being just around the corner, the Chinese short track speed skating team is doing final preparations.

After the ISU Short Track World Tour, the Chinese short track speed skating team has been training in Beijing to prepare for the 9th Asian Winter Games which will take place from Feb 7 to 14 in Harbin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

"The training for both team and individual events has been intensified during this period, particularly for the middle and long-distance races. While we have a strong advantage in the men's short-distance events, there will be two to three athletes from the same country in the semi-finals and finals, so we've also incorporated skills and tactics training. For the middle and long-distance events, we've arranged targeted training on leading, following, and overtaking," said Zhang Jing, coach of China's short track speed skating team.

According to the competition schedule, the first gold medal of the Asian Winter Games is likely to be decided on the morning of February 8, in the short track speed skating mixed team relay and freestyle skiing U-shaped venue skills event. At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the Chinese short track speed skating team claimed the first gold medal for the Chinese delegation in the mixed team relay event. Three years later, they aim to kick off the Games with another strong performance and gold medals for the delegation.

"The right time, the right place, and the right people. The competition will take place right at my doorstep, as my hometown is in northeast China. I hope the short track speed skating team can win the first gold medal of the Games. With our efforts, I hope we can be the first team to witness the raising of the national flag," said Fan Kexin, a Chinese short track speed skater.

In the men's events, the Chinese short track speed skating team has three Olympic champions—Liu Shaolin, Liu Shao'ang, and Lin Xiaojun—along with Li Wenlong, the Olympic silver medalist, strengthening the team's potential to win gold in both individual and relay events.

"Our goal is definitely the gold medal, and we are actively preparing for the competition. Personally, I focus more on the relay, but I also hope to make more progress in the individual events and aim to win medals, possibly even gold," said Li Wenlong.

According to the plan, the Chinese short track speed skating team departed for Harbin on Sunday, and the first short track speed skating event of the Asian Winter Games will take place on February 7.

The Games will have six sports, 11 disciplines, and 64 events. This marks the third time that the Games will be hosted in China, following the events in Harbin in 1996 and Changchun, the provincial capital of Jilin, in 2007.

China's short track speed skating team gearing up for Asian Winter Games

China's short track speed skating team gearing up for Asian Winter Games

Iran on Tuesday warned it would deliver a stern response to any new aggression, after U.S. President Donald Trump ordering preparations for a prolonged naval blockade of the country.

Trump has instructed his administration to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran as the ceasefire remains in place amid stalled talks, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. officials.

In recent meetings, including a Monday discussion with top security officials in the White House, Trump opted to continue squeezing Iran's economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports, said the report.

The president assessed that the blockade, "a high-risk bid" to compel Tehran's nuclear capitulation, carries less risk than other options -- resume bombing or walk away from the conflict, the officials were quoted as saying.

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated the same day that Tehran has completed "all necessary arrangements" to counter the U.S. naval blockade.

She noted that Iran's primary strategy focuses on maximizing its geographical advantages through effective tactical maneuvers.

Also on Tuesday, Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia declared that the military considers the current situation a state of war.

Akraminia added that Iran has fully updated its target lists and operational equipment, promising a "stern response" to any further aggression.

Mujtaba Ferdosipour, head of Iran's Interests Section in Cairo, told the IRNA news agency on Wednesday that U.S. attempts to force unilateral demands through a naval blockade are ineffective. He stressed that Iran's extensive land borders with neighboring countries provide viable alternatives to bypass the maritime restrictions.

Ferdosipour reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz is closed only to vessels linked to Israel and the United States. He asserted that Iran has the right to manage security in the strait, maintaining that this position does not violate international conventions.

The envoy further stated that Iran does not trust the United States and has no desire for direct negotiations. He emphasized that Tehran can employ all available means to defend itself against attacks.

According to the latest data from the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz have plummeted by 95.3 percent since Feb 27. The disruption has caused global food prices to rise by approximately six percent, while crude oil prices in European markets have surged by nearly 50 percent.

Iran warns of stern response as US plans prolonged blockade