https://www.scmp.com/rss/520782/feed The 2025 Asian Winter Games will be the ninth edition of the multi-sport event. It will be held from February 7 to 14 in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. This will be the second time Harbin hosts the event and the third time China has hosted the Asian Winter Games. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ada Li Ada Li Hong Kong alpine skier Eloise King Yung-shih has settled into Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and said she is ready to make her Olympic debut in the women’s slalom – the first of what she hopes will be many appearances on the sport’s biggest stage. King, 21, first skied at the age of four in Japan during a family trip, and kept doing so once a year every year. When Eloise King was 13, her older cousin Audrey King began ski racing, and Eloise King was intrigued enough by her race to sign up for a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3343537/hong-kong-skier-eloise-king-intent-finding-rhythm-her-winter-olympics-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3343537/hong-kong-skier-eloise-king-intent-finding-rhythm-her-winter-olympics-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Lin Xiaojun, the former South Korean speed skater now competing for China, has expressed gratitude to the Chinese team as he gets set to make his first and possibly last Olympic appearance for his new country, eight years after switching nationalities. The Olympic gold medallist was banned from training with his native national team before being signed by the Chinese Skating Association, but missed the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics because of IOC rules. Appearing on a recent state media TV... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3342401/olympic-champion-lin-xiaojun-grateful-new-country-china-chance-keep-skating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3342401/olympic-champion-lin-xiaojun-grateful-new-country-china-chance-keep-skating?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 23:01:40 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Hong Kong short-track speed skater Joey Lam Ching‑yan still remembers feeling “refreshed and comfortable” the first time she stepped onto an ice rink and out of the city’s oppressive heat. More than a decade later, the eight‑year‑old girl who took up the sport to escape the tropical temperatures is now preparing to compete on the biggest stage of all. Still, Lam’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics debut almost never happened. The 19-year-old initially met the qualifying criteria, only to miss out... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3341722/hong-kong-speed-skater-joey-lam-give-it-everything-her-winter-olympics-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3341722/hong-kong-speed-skater-joey-lam-give-it-everything-her-winter-olympics-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has said that preparations for the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Saudi Arabia are “on schedule” after South Korea and China emerged as potential replacements. Saudi Arabia is supposed to host the next edition of the regional winter competition in a move derided by environmental groups. The OCA in 2022 unanimously approved the desert kingdom’s bid to stage the Games at its US$500 billion megacity Neom, part of Saudi Arabia’s splurge on major sporting events,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3323075/saudi-arabias-preparations-winter-games-schedule-olympic-council-asia-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3323075/saudi-arabias-preparations-winter-games-schedule-olympic-council-asia-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 12:00:08 +0000 The International Ice Hockey Federation has deemed forward Hannah Miller ineligible to represent Canada at the upcoming women’s world hockey championships because of her recent playing tenure in China. According to Hockey Canada, the IIHF cited its rule requiring a two-year break from when the player represented another nation. The 29-year-old Miller is from North Vancouver, British Columbia, and last represented China at the 2022 Winter Games under the name of Me Li. Now in her second season... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304751/china-stint-means-miller-ineligible-represent-canada-worlds-ice-hockey-bosses-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304751/china-stint-means-miller-ineligible-represent-canada-worlds-ice-hockey-bosses-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Apr 2025 13:00:09 +0000 China’s Xu Mengtao won silver in the women’s aerials at the Freestyle World Ski Championships in Switzerland on Sunday. Competing at her seventh world championships, Xu was one of three Chinese skiers to reach the final in Corviglia, along with Shao Qi and Chen Xuezheng, and she got on the podium with a score of 99.16 on her second run. The United States’ Kaila Kuhn scored 105.13 for gold, while Danielle Scott of Australia finished third with 96.93. Chen took fourth place and Shao was sixth. In... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304581/freestyle-world-ski-championships-chinas-xu-mengtao-wins-womens-aerials-silver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304581/freestyle-world-ski-championships-chinas-xu-mengtao-wins-womens-aerials-silver?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:07:59 +0000 The International Skating Union (ISU) apologised on Thursday for displaying the flag of Taiwan rather than the Chinese Taipei emblem at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston. The Taiwan flag was displayed on the video screen behind skater Li Yu-Hsiang when he was introduced ahead of his short programme earlier on Thursday. Taiwan competes at almost all international sports events as Chinese Taipei to avoid objections from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304273/isu-sorry-displaying-taiwan-rather-chinese-taipei-flag-world-championships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304273/isu-sorry-displaying-taiwan-rather-chinese-taipei-flag-world-championships?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Mar 2025 07:41:54 +0000 Little more than a month after Hong Kong sent their largest contingent ever to an Asian Winter Games, officials have signed an agreement with their counterparts in Harbin to help the “snowless city” win a medal at the multi-sports event in the future. The Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Heilongjiang Sports Federation and Harbin Sport University that covered joint training sessions, sharing expertise, talent... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3303377/hong-kong-harbin-sign-deal-help-snowless-city-win-medals-future-asian-winter-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3303377/hong-kong-harbin-sign-deal-help-snowless-city-win-medals-future-asian-winter-games?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2025 10:33:20 +0000 China, with a team made up of two reigning Olympic champions and two skiers who had already won individual titles at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup at Beidahu Ski Resort, comfortably won the mixed aerials team event on Monday. Knowing his score was a good one, 2022 Beijing Olympic Aerials champion Qi Guangpu, who was the third jumper, gestured for his teammates to start ringing in the cheers as soon as he landed. Qi’s score of 123.53 helped the team leapfrog the United States trio, lifting them... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3299873/xu-mengtao-li-tianma-lead-chinese-1-2-finishes-fis-freestyle-ski-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3299873/xu-mengtao-li-tianma-lead-chinese-1-2-finishes-fis-freestyle-ski-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2025 07:00:07 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu wrapped up his recent visit to the Asian Winter Games in Harbin with a local breakfast that “warmed” his heart. He not only met Hong Kong athletes but also visited cultural and tourism spots, including the famed Central Street, to learn how Harbin, also known as China’s Ice City, built its tourism industry. Lee attributed the success of Heilongjiang, China’s northernmost province of which Harbin is the capital, to its focus on ice and snow, and lauded... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3298786/harbin-hong-kong-should-focus-what-makes-it-unique?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3298786/harbin-hong-kong-should-focus-what-makes-it-unique?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Feb 2025 01:30:07 +0000 China made history again with yet another record medal haul at the ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin, the third time the event has been held on Chinese soil. And the Hong Kong, China team, while not making it to the podium, have nonetheless raised the city’s profile in winter sports. The spectacle held in the northeast province of Heilongjiang concluded on Friday, with the national team setting a new record for the most medals won by a single delegation, with their tally of 85 surpassing their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3298845/asian-winter-games-historic-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3298845/asian-winter-games-historic-success?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Feb 2025 22:45:07 +0000 The ninth Asian Winter Games closed in Harbin on Friday with host nation China topping the medals table, posting its best ever haul. A total of 85 medals far outstripped China’s previous record in these Games of 61, set in 2007, and included 32 golds – twice as many as second-placed South Korea, whose team collected 45 medals altogether. It came with the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina a year away. Before the 1,200 athletes from 34 countries and regions went their separate ways, a closing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298779/asian-winter-games-close-china-dominant-philippines-savours-historic-curling-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298779/asian-winter-games-close-china-dominant-philippines-savours-historic-curling-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2025 12:52:17 +0000 Hong Kong’s speed skaters have tended to follow their own paths when it comes to high-profile competitions, which made this month’s Asian Winter Games something of an outlier. When Sidney Chu carried the city’s flag at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, he was the sole exponent of his craft and one of just three Hong Kong athletes taking part, alongside alpine skiers Adrian Yung and Audrey King. It was the largest delegation the city had ever sent to the winter multi-sport... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3298709/asian-winter-games-speed-skater-sidney-chu-hails-breakthrough-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3298709/asian-winter-games-speed-skater-sidney-chu-hails-breakthrough-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2025 10:30:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s men’s curling team missed out on what would have been the city’s first ever Asian Winter Games medal as they lost their bronze final against China on Friday morning. The city’s squad of Jason Chang, Martin Yan Ho-tin, Cheng Ching-nam, Chung Cheuk-hei and Ma Chi-lap were defeated 10-3 by the mainland team. China, represented by Xu Xiaoming, Fei Xueqing, Wang Zhiyu, Li Zhichao and Ye Jianjun, went 5-1 ahead after three ends and did not look back. The Philippines took gold after winning... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298628/asian-winter-games-hong-kong-beaten-curling-bronze-china-philippines-win-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298628/asian-winter-games-hong-kong-beaten-curling-bronze-china-philippines-win-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2025 03:20:03 +0000 Hong Kong’s men’s curling team still have a chance to win the city’s first ever Asian Winter Games medal despite defeat in their semi-final against South Korea on Thursday evening. The city’s squad of Jason Chang, Martin Yan Ho-tin, Cheng Ching-nam, Chung Cheuk-hei and Ma Chi-lap were outclassed 13-2 by the South Koreans in Harbin. They trailed 4-0 after the first end and 9-0 after the second, leaving too steep a mountain to climb. However, that result sent them into the bronze medal match on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298543/asian-winter-games-hong-kong-set-curling-semi-final-after-china-suffer-ice-hockey-exit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298543/asian-winter-games-hong-kong-set-curling-semi-final-after-china-suffer-ice-hockey-exit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:30:54 +0000 Saudi Arabia made their debut at the Asian Winter Games in China this week and will controversially host the next edition in a move derided as “awful” by one Olympic skier and denounced by environmental groups. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in 2022 unanimously approved the desert kingdom’s bid to stage the Games at its US$500 billion megacity Neom in 2029. “It is awful for our sport,” Olympic downhill silver medallist Johan Clarey previously told French radio. Saudi Arabia will also host the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3298484/snow-saudi-arabia-asian-winter-games-next-hosts-watch-and-learn-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3298484/snow-saudi-arabia-asian-winter-games-next-hosts-watch-and-learn-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 05:13:43 +0000 China’s athletes won four gold medals at the Asian Winter Games on Wednesday, led by freestyle skier Liu Mengting’s second gold in 24 hours. Liu’s latest triumph in Harbin came in the women’s freeski big air event. A day after she led Yang Ruyi and Han Linshan in a Chinese clean sweep of the podium in the women’s freeski slopestyle, the same trio again filled the medal positions, with Han this time beating Yang to the silver. The Chinese also collected all three medals in ski mountaineering’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298433/asian-winter-games-liu-mengtings-second-gold-and-hong-kongs-high-scoring-curlers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298433/asian-winter-games-liu-mengtings-second-gold-and-hong-kongs-high-scoring-curlers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 14:08:16 +0000 China’s flag-bearers Ning Zhongyan and Liu Mengting each topped the podium as the host nation triumphed in speed skating and freestyle skiing at the Asian Winter Games on Tuesday. Having led their delegation into last Friday’s opening ceremony side by side, the pair delivered gold within minutes of each other in Harbin. Speed skater Ning, 25, won the men’s 1000 metres just as 20-year-old skier Liu led a Chinese one-two-three in the women’s freeski slopestyle. Later on Tuesday, Hong Kong’s men’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298204/asian-winter-games-china-flag-bearers-ning-zhongyan-and-liu-mengting-both-strike-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298204/asian-winter-games-china-flag-bearers-ning-zhongyan-and-liu-mengting-both-strike-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 06:42:07 +0000 Respect is a core sporting value, yet it was sadly lacking during a men’s ice hockey match between Hong Kong and Turkmenistan at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin on Sunday. A shocking assault on players from the city must be investigated so disciplinary action can be taken and to remind all of the importance of good sportsmanship. Officials from Hong Kong have rightly demanded action after the incident where postgame handshakes turned violent following the city’s 5-1 win over Turkmenistan. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3298121/cooler-heads-must-prevail-when-tempers-heat-ice-hockey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3298121/cooler-heads-must-prevail-when-tempers-heat-ice-hockey?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:15:08 +0000 A banker, a construction worker, an electrician and an entrepreneur from snowy Switzerland have an unlikely shot at making Winter Olympics curling history – for the tropical Philippines. Jamaica’s bobsleigh team were immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings after taking part in the 1988 Winter Olympics. And the “Curling Pilipinas” could be the next candidates for the Hollywood treatment, should they line up at Milan-Cortina in 2026. The Swiss-Filipino men’s quartet are this week gaining... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3298097/asian-winter-games-philippines-curling-pilipinas-bank-unlikely-winter-olympics-berth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3298097/asian-winter-games-philippines-curling-pilipinas-bank-unlikely-winter-olympics-berth?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 13:00:23 +0000 China’s Gao Tingyu added a second individual Asian Winter Games gold to his collection on Monday, taking the men’s 500m speed skating title by just 0.02 seconds. Going out in the last pair, the Olympic champion’s 34.95 was just enough to beat Japan’s Wataru Morishige, who had been the first skater of the finals to dip below 35 seconds. South Korea’s Kim Jun-ho took bronze after finishing in 35.03. Hong Kong’s Sidney Chu was among the first pairs to take to the ice, and he very briefly occupied... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298109/asian-winter-games-gao-tingyu-yang-wenlong-xiong-shirui-help-give-china-victorious-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3298109/asian-winter-games-gao-tingyu-yang-wenlong-xiong-shirui-help-give-china-victorious-day?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 12:19:54 +0000 Hong Kong’s men turned their attention to the ice hockey quarter-finals at the Asian Winter Games on Monday after an unpleasant 36 hours focused elsewhere, while Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu met local officials and said the city could learn a lot about sport and tourism from the event’s hosts. With most of the day involving the fallout from the ugly scenes at the end of Sunday’s Group C clash with Turkmenistan, head coach Carey Durant and his Hong Kong team were just glad to get back on the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3298047/asian-winter-games-lee-hails-professionalism-hong-kong-players-after-ice-hockey-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3298047/asian-winter-games-lee-hails-professionalism-hong-kong-players-after-ice-hockey-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 07:14:27 +0000 Hong Kong officials have demanded action after members of the men’s ice hockey team were assaulted in a shocking attack following their 5-1 Asian Winter Games win over Turkmenistan on Sunday. In a statement, the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), said it “strongly condemned” the incident, which was even reported by Chinese state media, at the end of the Group C clash at Harbin Ice Hockey Arena. A bad-tempered affair, in which the teams served out an hour’s worth... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3297999/asian-winter-games-hong-kong-ice-hockey-players-hurt-shocking-attack-turkmenistan-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3297999/asian-winter-games-hong-kong-ice-hockey-players-hurt-shocking-attack-turkmenistan-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Feb 2025 23:54:59 +0000 China unearthed another freestyle star, its speed skaters continued their battle for dominance with South Korea, and Hong Kong skier Adrian Yung Hau-tseun grabbed a top 10 finish on another action-packed day at the Asian Winter Games. With Olympic skiing champion Qi Guangpu in the field for the men’s aerials, the conventional wisdom was that the 34-year-old would add another title to his already impressive collection. As it was, 19-year-old Li Xinpeng produced a flawless final jump to take gold... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297978/asian-winter-games-china-unearths-new-aerials-star-hong-kongs-yung-shines-mens-slalom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297978/asian-winter-games-china-unearths-new-aerials-star-hong-kongs-yung-shines-mens-slalom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Feb 2025 14:30:08 +0000 Li Fanghui only arrived in China four days ago as a late replacement for the injured Eileen Gu, she ended up claiming her country’s first gold of the Asian Winter Games – and a Saturday that began with a wave of South Korean victories ended with the hosts top of the medal table. The absence of the double Olympic gold medallist had briefly cast an early shadow over China’s preparations, but Li’s dominant display in the freeski half-pipe was as close to Gu-like as it may have been possible for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297887/asian-winter-games-li-makes-most-eileen-gu-absence-claim-chinas-first-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297887/asian-winter-games-li-makes-most-eileen-gu-absence-claim-chinas-first-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Feb 2025 05:35:53 +0000 South Korea had been expected to dominate the short-track speed skating at this year’s Asian Winter Games and they got off to a strong start on Saturday, winning the first three gold medals up for grabs. They began in the 2,000-metres mixed-team relay at Heilongjiang Ice Sports Centre, taking advantage of a China slip-up, and then added the men’s and women’s 1,500m crowns to that list. But the Koreans did not have things all their own way, with Chinese speed skater Gao Tingyu setting a new Asian... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297879/asian-winter-games-china-speed-skating-slip-lets-south-korea-take-first-gold-harbin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297879/asian-winter-games-china-speed-skating-slip-lets-south-korea-take-first-gold-harbin?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Feb 2025 04:23:43 +0000 It would not be unfair to suggest that the fact Hong Kong has a curling team is news to a few people, or at least it was before the past several days at the Asian Winter Games. Much like other sports needing ice and snow, curling is not something you would immediately think of in connection with a city where cold is a relative term. These Games, though, are somewhat different. Hong Kong has sent its largest delegation ever, with 74 athletes competing in ice hockey, speed skating, figure skating,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3297818/cool-sweepings-hong-kong-curling-team-making-their-presence-felt-asian-winter-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3297818/cool-sweepings-hong-kong-curling-team-making-their-presence-felt-asian-winter-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Feb 2025 01:30:17 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the ninth edition of the Asian Winter Games on Friday, an event he said he expected to be “distinctly Chinese, uniquely Asian and spectacular”. The ceremony again highlighted the technology and artistry which have become a hallmark of first nights when the country hosts major sporting events – this time marrying 8K Ultra HD screens with what was described as a “poetic journey from Harbin to China and across Asia”. With a crowd numbering in the thousands,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3297744/asian-winter-games-speed-skater-lam-skier-yung-hong-kong-flag-bearers-opening-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3297744/asian-winter-games-speed-skater-lam-skier-yung-hong-kong-flag-bearers-opening-ceremony?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2025 05:08:25 +0000 China will welcome a mix of world-class athletes and relative novices from desert and tropical nations when the Asian Winter Games officially 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 -24 degrees Celsius (-11 degrees Fahrenheit) during... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297505/asian-winter-games-34-nations-athletes-arrive-china-harbin-hits-24-degrees-celsius?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297505/asian-winter-games-34-nations-athletes-arrive-china-harbin-hits-24-degrees-celsius?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2025 23:00:08 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification I refer to the letter, “Medical tourism may alleviate some of Hong Kong’s woes” (January 23). While the ageing population does present a business opportunity, medical tourism could hardly be... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3297422/cruise-not-medical-tourism-key-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3297422/cruise-not-medical-tourism-key-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2025 06:32:00 +0000 Eileen Gu announced on Tuesday that she had been forced to pull out of this month’s Asian Winter Games, after reinjuring herself during training for a World Cup event last weekend. The Olympian said it was with “a heavy heart” that she had to withdraw from China’s team for the multi-sport event in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin, which is gearing up to be the largest edition of the Games yet. Freestyle skier Gu was initially hurt during the Winter X Games in Aspen 10 days ago, when she... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297311/chinas-eileen-gu-pulls-out-asian-winter-games-after-injury-training?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3297311/chinas-eileen-gu-pulls-out-asian-winter-games-after-injury-training?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2025 08:48:43 +0000 The Asian Winter Games got under way in Harbin on Monday with Olympic champions taking part in the torch relay outside, and the ice hockey competition getting the action started indoors. There were mixed fortunes for the Hong Kong’s athletes, and while the men comfortably dispatched their Macau counterparts 26-1 in Group C, the women were beaten 12-0 by Kazakhstan in their first game in Group B. Forward Maxwell Tong Wai-hin led Hong Kong’s scoring at Harbin Ice Hockey Arena, finishing the game... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3297221/asian-winter-games-olympic-champions-carry-torch-hong-kong-ice-hockey-teams-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3297221/asian-winter-games-olympic-champions-carry-torch-hong-kong-ice-hockey-teams-action?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:33:36 +0000 With less than two weeks to go until the start of the Asian Winter Games, China continued to flex its muscles in the snow, winning two gold and three silver medals in World Cup and X Games events. Olympic champion skier Qi Guangpu won gold in the men’s aerials final at the FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup in Lac-Beauport, Canada. The 34-year-old veteran topped the podium in style on Saturday local time, landing a back double full-full-double full for 124.00 points. Lewis Irving, from the host... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3296328/qi-guangpu-sets-standard-chinese-skiers-snowboarders-shine-world-cup-and-x-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3296328/qi-guangpu-sets-standard-chinese-skiers-snowboarders-shine-world-cup-and-x-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jan 2025 08:16:09 +0000 China’s Olympic champion skier Eileen Gu said she ignored signs that she was exhausted before a crash that caused her withdrawal from the X Games and left her “unable to walk”. Gu crashed into safety netting during the ski street style event in Aspen, Colorado on Friday local time, and was examined by medics before hobbling from the scene – with, she later revealed, severe bruising. It came on the day that Gu was named in China’s 170-athlete delegation for next month’s Asian Winter Games, to be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3296274/eileen-gu-unable-walk-ok-after-skiing-crash-forces-x-games-withdrawal-aspen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3296274/eileen-gu-unable-walk-ok-after-skiing-crash-forces-x-games-withdrawal-aspen?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jan 2025 10:34:28 +0000 Three years ago, Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen was feeling on top of the world. The first male skier from Hong Kong to qualify for a Winter Olympics, the then 17-year-old headed to Beijing full of the optimism of youth and with a determination to give it “120 per cent against the world’s best”. Things did not turn out exactly as planned. Yung crashed out of both the giant slalom and slalom, and after his first run in the former admitted to lacking confidence and struggling to control his nerves. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3296049/path-olympic-redemption-starts-chinas-asian-winter-games-hong-kong-skier-yung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3296049/path-olympic-redemption-starts-chinas-asian-winter-games-hong-kong-skier-yung?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jan 2025 03:00:09 +0000 China’s strong performance at the FIS Freestyle World Cup continued with gold in the aerials mixed team event in the United States. The trio of Xu Mengtao, Sun Jiaxu and Li Xinpeng overturned a third-place finish in the first round by dominating the superfinal on Sunday in Lake Placid, New York state. They recorded three clean landings, scoring 328.41 points to claim the top spot. Alexandra Montminy, Miha Fontaine and Alexandre Duchaine scored 289.17 points to win silver for Team Canada 2.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3295524/fis-world-cup-chinas-skiers-win-aerials-mixed-team-gold-xu-mengtao-triumphs-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3295524/fis-world-cup-chinas-skiers-win-aerials-mixed-team-gold-xu-mengtao-triumphs-again?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jan 2025 11:39:07 +0000 Chinese athletes dominated the FIS Freestyle World Cup in Lake Placid on Saturday, winning gold in the women’s aerial while five of the country’s skiers in the men’s event occupied the top six spots. Four-time Olympic medallist skier Xu Mengtao won World Cup gold when she pulled off a back double full-full – the hardest trick to land in the women’s field – to score her a 95.52 in the super-final. Reigning world champion Australian Danielle Scott was in second with 95.17 and Canada’s Marion... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3295377/fis-world-cup-xu-mengtao-eileen-gu-snare-titles-chinese-athletes-dominate-slopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3295377/fis-world-cup-xu-mengtao-eileen-gu-snare-titles-chinese-athletes-dominate-slopes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2025 09:29:24 +0000 Rising star Yang Wenlong targeted a place in the China squad for the Winter Olympics next year after his first FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup triumph on Saturday. Yang finished just ahead of Taiga Hasegawa, the reigning world champion from Japan, to take the gold medal in Kreischberg, Austria. He scored a total of 182.5 points, bettering Hasegawa’s 180.25, with Hasegawa’s compatriot Kira Kimura completing the podium on a score of 168.75. The event followed a three-run format, with the best two... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3294421/rising-chinese-snowboard-star-yang-claims-first-world-cup-gold-eyes-winter-olympics-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3294421/rising-chinese-snowboard-star-yang-claims-first-world-cup-gold-eyes-winter-olympics-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2025 09:18:08 +0000 Hong Kong will send its largest delegation yet to an Asian Winter Games next month, with 74 athletes, competing in five different sports, set to represent the city in Harbin. There are several Olympians and junior Olympians among those who will head to mainland China’s northeast, including short-track speed skater Sidney Chu, and alpine skiers Adrian Yung Hau-tsuen, Lucas Wong Chi-hao and Aerin King. That quartet mirror the healthy mix of youth and experience throughout the squad, with the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3293961/skiers-curlers-hong-kong-has-them-it-names-its-largest-ever-asian-winter-games-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3293961/skiers-curlers-hong-kong-has-them-it-names-its-largest-ever-asian-winter-games-team?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2025 00:45:08 +0000 Last winter’s tourism boom made Harbin a top destination for domestic visitors. Now, the northeastern Chinese city known for its annual ice festival and bitter cold is enhancing policies to attract more international tourists. Rachael Lim, a tourist from Malaysia, recently shared her experiences in Harbin on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu – “Little Red Book” in English – describing the city as “beautiful, cold, and dreamy”. “My country has summer all year round, so snow is... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3292145/harbin-aims-attract-more-foreign-tourists-chinas-winter-wonderland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3292145/harbin-aims-attract-more-foreign-tourists-chinas-winter-wonderland?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2024 02:00:08 +0000 The Olympic Council of Asia has announced that the Chinese city of Harbin will host the ninth edition of the Asian Winter Games in 2025. The capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province was unanimously approved by the OCA’s General Assembly to host the Games for a second time. It previously hosted the event in 1996. The OCA’s decision was made at its 42nd Congress, held in Bangkok, Thailand this weekend. Harbin was the only candidate city for the Games. “I’m fully convinced Harbin can... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3227058/chinese-city-harbin-host-asian-winter-games-2025-bid-team-promise-outstanding-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3227058/chinese-city-harbin-host-asian-winter-games-2025-bid-team-promise-outstanding-event?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jul 2023 03:49:34 +0000