Harbin: South Korea arrived in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin this month with a goal of winning at least 11 gold medals at the Asian Winter Games. The country took a significant step toward that target on the first day of the medal race, as its athletes captured seven gold medals from ice and snow.
According to Yonhap News Agency, short track speed skaters led the charge by winning four out of five gold medals at stake at Heilongjiang Ice Events Training Center Multifunctional Hall. South Korea clinched the mixed 2,000-meter relay gold medal, setting the tone for a successful day. Relay members Kim Gil-li and Park Ji-won later won the women's 1,500m and the men's 1,500m gold medals, respectively. Choi Min-jeong led a South Korean podium sweep in the women's 500m, with Kim and Lee So-yeon finishing behind her. Park also secured a silver in the men's 500m, narrowly missing a sweep of short track titles. Jang Sung-woo earned bronze medals in both the men's 500m and 1,500m events.
At the adjacent oval, Lee Na-hyun narrowly defeated teammate Kim Min-sun for the gold medal in the inaugural women's 100m speed skating event, clocking in at 10.501 seconds. Kim Jun-ho secured bronze in the men's 100m earlier in the day.
Over at Yabuli Ski Resort, about 200 kilometers southeast of Harbin, South Korean teenagers showcased their talent by winning gold medals. Lee Seung-hun, 19, claimed the gold in the men's freestyle skiing halfpipe event with 97.50 points, while teammate Moon Hee-sung took bronze with 88.50 points. Jang Yu-jin added a bronze in the women's halfpipe. Lee became the first South Korean to win an Asiad gold in any freestyle skiing event.
In snowboarding, 18-year-old Lee Chae-un secured the men's slopestyle gold medal with 90.00 points, while Kang Dong-hun, another South Korean, earned bronze with 74.00 points. Lee, who won the 2023 world title in halfpipe, decided at the last minute to compete in the slopestyle event. He aims for another gold in the halfpipe, with qualification runs scheduled for next Wednesday and the final the following day.
Also on Saturday, Kim Kyeong-ae and Seong Ji-hoon teamed up for silver in the mixed doubles curling event, while Gim So-hui earned silver in the women's alpine skiing slalom event. With a tally of seven gold, five silver, and seven bronze medals, South Korea holds second place in the medal table behind China, which secured eight gold, eight silver, and four bronze medals on Saturday.