The top three players pose after the women's freeski halfpipe event at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games at the Yabuli Ski Resort, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Feb 8, 2025. [Photo by Wei Xiaohao/chinadaily.com.cn]
The 9th Asian Winter Games kicked off its first day of competition today in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, with an impressive start for China. In the women's freeski halfpipe final, Li Fanghui delivered a dominant performance, scoring 95.25 points to secure the country's first gold medal of the Games. Her teammate Zhang Kexin claimed silver with 87.50 points.
Born in Harbin in 2003, Li has been a rising star in Chinese freestyle skiing. She won silver at the 2016 National Winter Games and the 2020 Lausanne Winter Youth Olympics in the women's team freeski halfpipe. This time, Li, the last minute call-up following Olympic champion Gu Ailing's withdrawal because of injury, finally claimed the top podium spot.
China's Li Fanghui competes in the women's freeski halfpipe event at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games at the Yabuli Ski Resort, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Feb 8, 2025. [Photo by Wei Xiaohao/chinadaily.com.cn]
"I'm thrilled to compete at such a high-level event in my hometown and even happier to win China's first gold," Li said.
Returning to Harbin for the competition also gave Li the chance to enjoy a hometown favorite—guobaorou (sweet and sour pork)—a dish she had been craving throughout Spring Festival. Encouraged by her family, she focused on delivering her best performance.
Li set the tone early, scoring 93 points in her first run before landing a 95.25 in her third. "I played it safe in the first run, then increased the difficulty in the second and third," she said.
China's Li Fanghui competes in the women's freeski halfpipe event at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games at the Yabuli Ski Resort, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Feb 8, 2025. [Photo by Wei Xiaohao/chinadaily.com.cn]
Adapting to weather conditions, wind speed and direction, Li made key adjustments to her tricks. "My style is clean and distinct," she noted.
Li's journey to the top hasn't been without challenges. Ahead of the 2024 National Winter Games, she fractured her collarbone for the third time but still managed to secure silver in the women's freeski halfpipe open category.
"I was afraid of getting injured again, and my mindset wasn't great," she recalled. "But over the summer and fall, I gradually adjusted my mentality. Injuries aren't that scary - improving my skill level is the key to consistency."
China's Zhang Kexin competes in the women's freeski halfpipe event at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games at the Yabuli Ski Resort, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Feb 8, 2025. [Photo by Wei Xiaohao/chinadaily.com.cn]
Silver medalist Zhang, born in 2002, is also from Harbin. A national team member since 2016, she competed in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, finishing seventh in the women's freeski halfpipe final.
Reflecting on the growing success of Chinese female skiers in international freeski halfpipe competitions, Zhang credited their comprehensive technical development.
China's Zhang Kexin competes in the women's freeski halfpipe event at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games at the Yabuli Ski Resort, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, on Feb 8, 2025. [Photo by Wei Xiaohao/chinadaily.com.cn]
"We're well-rounded in both forward and switch tricks, as well as in overall difficulty and variety," Zhang said. "In training, we design our runs based on both the judges' scoring preferences and our strengths."
However, she acknowledged ongoing challenges. "We don't always perform well—it often comes down to experience and consistency. Many competitors have been on snow longer than us, so we need to focus on improving our stability."
Liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn
