China marks 100th gold in AWG history as S Korea claims 1st gold of Harbin 2025

HARBIN - South Korea won the short track speed skating 2,000m mixed team relay to take the first gold medal of the 2025 Asian Winter Games (AWG) on Saturday, while Li Lei took China's historic 100th gold in the Games' history by triumphing in the cross-country skiing women's sprint classic final.

Anticipation was high in the Heilongjiang Ice Sports Center, as host China was among the four 2,000m mixed team relay final contenders for the Games' first gold medal. There was a winning sign for China until the last two laps when Lin Xiaojun tumbled off the ice on the curve right after taking over the lead from Liu Shaoang.

China eventually finished fourth, while South Korea clocked two minutes and 41.534 seconds to cross the finish line first.

Within two hours, Lin stepped on the men's 1,500m final track with high hopes. In a nail-biting sprint, Lin finished 0.029 seconds behind to settle for the second place, while Park Ji-won of South Korea claimed gold in two minutes and 16.927 seconds.

It didn't take long for Lin to bounce back, as the 28-year-old broke through under pressure from South Korean skaters in the men's 500m final, clocking 41.150 seconds to take the gold. South Korea's Park and Jang Sung-woo took the silver and bronze respectively.

In other short track speed skating races, Kim Gil-li of South Korea won the women's 1,500m final, with China's Gong Li and Zang Yize taking silver and bronze respectively. Choi Min-jeong of South Korea pocketed the women's 500m gold.