China dominates short track speed skating, adds free ski silver at Gangwon 2024

GANGNEUNG, South Korea, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- China dominated short track speed skating with another mixed relay gold medal, and added a freestyle skiing silver at the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games here on Wednesday.

Li Jinzi, Yang Jingru, Zhang Bohao and Zhang Xinzhe comfortably finished first in the mixed-gender team relay final that wrapped up the short track speed skating competition.

The Chinese team showed dominance in the individual events, claiming three of the six golds on offer in the sport.

The 16-year-old Zhang Xinzhe picked up two golds and two silvers in total, demonstrating his promising future as a prodigy.

The United States won the mixed team relay silver, and Japan secured bronze.

Chinese freestyle skier Han Linshan claimed silver in the women's slopestyle event, raising expectations for another medal in the upcoming big air event on Sunday.

Flora Tabanelli of Italy won the women's slopestyle gold, and Muriel Mohr of Germany snatched bronze.

In the women's 3-on-3 ice hockey semifinals, China was defeated by hosts South Korea 6-4 and will fight for bronze against Italy on Thursday.

Swedish freestyle skiers secured the title of the mixed-gender team ski cross event that was first introduced for the Winter Youth Olympics.

The mixed ski cross silver and bronze went to the United States and Switzerland.

The biathlon race ended with a mixed relay event, in which Italy won gold while silver and bronze were secured by France and the Czech Republic.

France took the first gold in Alpine skiing here as Nash Huot-Marchand finished first with an aggregate time of one minute and 34.37 seconds in the men's giant slalom.

Zak Carrick-Smith of Britain and Florian Neumayer of Austria claimed silver and bronze each after finishing just 0.93 seconds and one second off the pace.

Austria took the women's snowboard slopestyle gold, while silver and bronze went to New Zealand and the Czech Republic.

1,802 athletes aged 14 to 18 from 78 nations and regions are competing in four cities of Gangneung, PyeongChang, Jeongseon and Hoengseong until February 1.

The Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics feature seven sports, 15 disciplines and 81 events.