China's first gold medalist at the ongoing Asian Winter Games in northeast China's Harbin City has set her sights on the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics next year, with the goal of making history once again.
In a thrilling performance at Harbin's Yabuli Ski Resort on Saturday, China's freestyle skiers made history by claiming both the gold and silver medals in the women's freeski halfpipe event.
Twenty-one-year-old Li Fanghui secured the gold with an outstanding score of 95.25 points, marking the first gold for Team China at Harbin 2025. Zhang Kexin, her teammate, followed closely behind, taking the silver medal with a score of 89.25. South Korea's Jang Yu-jin earned the bronze with a score of 85.00.
In a post-competition interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Sunday, Li expressed her joy and satisfaction with her winning performance.
"I'm quite satisfied with my performance. Although I made a mistake in the second run, I felt confident to do better in the third because I had the first run as a good foundation. Cold weather and wind are common challenges in winter sports competitions. This kind of situation happens every year in every season," said Li.
The gold medalist added she has learned how to cope with challenging weather conditions, explaining that she adjusts her technique by carefully assessing the wind's speed and direction.
Li, who has been competing at the highest levels for years, also reflected on the growth of Asian athletes in international winter sports competitions.
"In recent years, I've seen many South Korean and Japanese athletes participating in the World Cup competitions, and their skills have been steadily improving. When I first started training and getting involved in this sport, there weren't many Asian athletes in the World Cup events. However, each year and season, their numbers have been continuously growing," she said.
This snow season has been a successful one for Li, as she has already earned two silver medals: one at the FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup in Zhangjiakou, China, in December last year, and another at the 2025 X Games Aspen in the U.S. in January this year.
Looking ahead to the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Li is determined to continue improving her skills.
"The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics is a highly prestigious event. To prepare for it, we need to keep competing and gaining more experience. We'll focus on finishing the last two competitions of this season, then train wherever facilities are available, aiming to increase the difficulty and refine the fluidity and precision of our routines. Throughout the year, we'll fully immerse ourselves in perfecting every movement," said Li.
Running from Feb 7 to 14, the 9th Asian Winter Games are set to be the largest in history, with over 1,200 competitors from 34 countries and regions taking part in 64 events across 11 winter sports disciplines.
This is the third time China has hosted the regional Games, and the second time Harbin to host the event, following its staging of the third edition in 1996.
It is also the first major international ice and snow event in China since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
China's Li Fanghui strikes gold at Winter Asian Games, sets sights on Olympic glory
