Asian Winter Games: China unearths new aerials star, Hong Kong’s Yung shines in men’s slalom
Li Xinpeng leaves Olympic champion in the shade to claim gold with flawless final jump, China and South Korea skaters continue battle on ice
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 at Yabuli Ski Resort, underlying the depth of talent among the country’s next generation.
With Yang Longxiao, 22, taking silver, Qi was bumped down to bronze, not that there were any hard feelings.
“I was satisfied with both my performance and my teammates today, and I’m happy to see the younger generation rising up and doing better than me,” Qi said.
Close by, Yung was putting in an impressive performance in the men’s slalom, finishing tenth overall after posting 47.80 seconds in the second of two runs.
