Estonian freestyle skier ready to challenge for halfpipe glory after injury comeback

Estonian freestyle ski star Kelly Sildaru is aiming to write a fairytale comeback story as she returns to the world stage after a serious injury setback, as the 24-year-old targets glory against a strong field of competitors at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

The women's halfpipe competition, which begins its qualifying runs on Thursday, features some of the sport's most seasoned athletes who will show off their daring skills high in the snowy heights of the Italian Alpine town of Livigno.

Leading the field is defending champion and global icon Eileen Gu of China, who has already bagged two silver medals at this year's Winter Games.

But despite a difficult run up to the event, Sildaru says she is ready to challenge the favorite and compete for more medal success after bringing home slopestyle bronze at her Olympic debut in Beijing four years ago.

Now, after battling back from a severe knee injury and choosing to focus solely on the halfpipe, Sildaru says she's competing with a new sense of perspective and is feeling more relaxed about the event.

The threat of injury is an ever-present shadow which hangs over all freestyle skiers, a reality Sildaru knows all too well.

"I think freestyle skiing is one of the most dangerous sports. You don't need much [to go wrong] to crash. You could get some headwind, or something small could go wrong and you could get injured. So it's definitely a really risky sport. But yeah, I think when we're skiing and competing, we also have this thought in mind that we have a chance of injury and we're willing to take that risk. That's the sport," Sildaru told the China Global Television Network (CGTN).

This year's halfpipe competition promises to be a spectacular showcase of risk and reward, as the world's best pursue golden glory at the Games. For Sildaru, having such a strong lineup elevates the entire event and she is relishing the chance to test herself against the world's best.

"I'm really excited to be here at the Olympics anyways, and I feel like having such a strong field is also amazing, because I feel like it always sucks competing when you're missing some of the athletes. So I feel like we have everything here in the vineyard right now, and nobody's injured. So that's really, really good," she said.

The presence of Gu also puts the sport in the global spotlight, and Sildaru welcomes the increased attention the reigning champion draws to the event.

"I think definitely it brings more spotlight to the sport. And maybe, I don't know, four, five or six years ago, nobody or not that many people know, watch freestyle skiing or watch slopestyle or half pipe, but I think now they know it a bit more, which is really, really good to have more knowledge of our sport," said the Estonian skier.

As she gears up for the hotly-anticipated competition, Sildaru says that chasing medals has become an almost secondary concern. After her long road back from injury, simply being here to compete again already feels like a victory.

"It would mean so much [to win a medal]. Just battling with these injuries and just coming back I feel like it's already a win for me. So if I would go back home with a medal, it would just feel really special," she said.

Estonian freestyle skier ready to challenge for halfpipe glory after injury comeback

Holiday makers have kept flocking to Beijing's temple fairs so far during the official nine-day Chinese New Year holiday season that started on Sunday, where centuries-old folk performances share the spotlight with robots and interactive science exhibits.

The Chinese New Year, which begins with the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday for the Chinese people, marked by family reunions, festive meals, firework displays and cultural rituals..

For the long-running holiday season, Beijing has rolled out about 5,000 cultural events to celebrate the Chinese New Year, with temple fairs standing out as the city's most iconic tradition.

Kicking off from the very first day of the Chinese New Year on Tuesday, the temple fairs have gradually unfolded across the capital city, entertaining locals and visitors with folk performances, festive foods, and traditional crafts.

At the Ditan Temple Fair, visitors can enjoy acrobatics, opera and Sichuan face-changing alongside robot performances.

"I came from northeast China to particularly feel the holiday atmosphere here. The temple fair is wonderful, and the audience interaction is great," said a visitor surnamed Wan.

Food stalls at the Ditran Temple Fair offers Beijing specialties such as candied hawthorn and fried sausage.

Visitors can also find characteristic regional snacks such as Hunan stinky tofu and Xinjiang lamb skewers, as well as imported goods.

"It's a very cheerful place, and we ate a lot -- the barbecue, the potatoes. Everything is great," said Marcus, an international visitor.

At the Dadu Temple Fair, technology is taking a center stage. More than 50 robots amaze crowds by writing calligraphy, grilling sausages, spinning cotton candy and even staging mock combat.

The Beijing Science Center has put up an exhibition at the temple fair, displaying over 100 interactive projects, attracting more than 10,000 participants in just two days.

"We've opened 80,000 square meters of space for commercial operations during the holiday season, with more than half of the stalls offering interactive experiences. We see more than 20,000 visits daily. We've also rolled out a 'ticket stub economy,' offering 10 to 20 percent discounts at more than 20 designated shops in the Asian-Olympic Business Circle for visitors holding our temple fair tickets," said Yang Huashen, executive director of the Dadu Temple Fair.

Beijing temple fairs attract visitors with traditional performances, robotics