Olympics on horizon as China hosts Asian Winter Games

HARBIN: China will welcome a mix of world-class athletes and relative novices from desert and tropical nations when the Asian Winter Games open in the city of Harbin on Friday.

It is the ninth edition of the event, stretching back to 1986, but the first since 2017 and crucially comes with the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina a year away. Harbin is in China´s northeast, towards the borders with Russia and North Korea, and temperatures were minus 24 Celsius (-11F) during the day Wednesday.

A total of 1,275 athletes across 34 countries and territories have registered for the Games, organisers say. Competitors will battle for medals and continental glory in 11 disciplines.

Staples of the Olympics are in the week-long programme, including speed skating, figure skating, alpine skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey and curling. There is no direct qualification for the Winter Olympics but the Asian Winter Games will act as preparation.

“This is the last comprehensive competition before the 2026 Winter Olympics,” said Zhang Jing, head coach of China´s short track speed skating squad. “We will cherish this opportunity, strive to showcase our athletes´ best condition and deliver top performances.”

The Asian Winter Games are a greatly scaled-down version of the summer Asian Games, which featured about 12,000 athletes in 2023 when China also played host. China, Japan and South Korea are the traditional powers at the Games and boast Olympic medallists and world champions.

They include Japanese figure skaters Kaori Sakamoto, a three-time world champion, and two-time Olympic silver medallist Yuma Kagiyama. South Korea´s formidable short track speed skaters are also in action.

“We are looking at winning six gold medals or more,” head coach Yoon Jae-myung said, according to South Korea´s Yonhap news agency. Short track speed skater Lin Xiaojun, who won gold for hosts South Korea at Pyeongchang in 2018, will lead China´s short track squad.

Lin, also known as Lim Hyo-jun, was naturalised by China in 2021 after he was banned from the South Korean team for a now-overturned sexual harassment conviction. Also naturalised to compete for China are short track speed skaters Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang -- brothers who previously won Olympic gold for Hungary.

China will however be missing Eileen Gu, the double Olympic champion and face of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, after the California-born free skier pulled out injured on Tuesday.

North Korea are set to send three figure skaters. Also taking part are competitors from nations with far warmer climates who have never competed at the Winter Olympics. That includes three alpine skiers from Saudi Arabia, who will host the Asian Winter Games in 2029.

Four Swiss-born curlers make up the Philippines´ men´s team -- including the former owner of an online sex toy shop who took up the niche sport in 2023. There are also four snowboarders from Cambodia.

The first medals are up for grabs on Saturday in speed skating, short track, curling, skiing and snowboarding. Sports on ice will take place at venues across Harbin while ski and snowboard events will be held in Yabuli, 200 kilometres (120 miles) to the southeast of the city.