Hoengseong, Korea, January 31, 2024: China ended the freestyle skiing competition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 on Wednesday with a gold and silver 1-2 double in the women’s freeski halfpipe.
In glorious winter sunshine at the Hoengseong Welli Hilli Park Ski Resort, Liu Yishan, 16, won gold with a best score of 92.25 from her three attempts.
Her 14-year-old teammate, Chen Zihan, took silver with 83.75 from her first run, while Kathryn Gray of the United States finished with bronze for her score of 79.25 on her third and final attempt.
“I was so happy to hear the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China as I stood on top of the podium,” Liu said, after the victory ceremony when the Chinese flag occupied the top two spots ahead of the United States.
“I was really proud with my second jump to get the winning score. Now I want to continue my training and try to win a gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games.”
China’s delegation at the sun-baked resort, where some spectators wore shorts in the mid-afternoon, was led by Chef de Mission Liu Guoyong.
He declared himself extremely satisfied with China’s performance at the Winter YOG Gangwon 2024 – the fourth edition of the event but the first in Asia.
The medals of Liu and Chen moved China’s tally to six gold, nine silver and three bronze medals with one day of competition remaining before the closing ceremony on Thursday, February 1.
“I think we are seeing the legacy of the Beijing Winter Olympics,” said China’s CDM.
Looking ahead to the OCA’s 9th Asian Winter Games at Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province in northeast China, in February 2025, he added: “We are holding our winter national championships and will find new talent and train them for the Asian Winter Games.
“We can use the facilities from the Beijing Winter Olympics for our new athletes and this is another legacy for China.”
He described himself as very satisfied with how China was performing at Gangwon 2024 as they were still a relatively young winter sports nation.
“More and more people in China have taken to winter sports since Beijing 2022, definitely,” he added.
Mr. Liu said China’s level at ice sports was ahead of snow sports at this moment, but China would make efforts to enhance both elements of winter sports in the near future.
