A Relay impressive haul

If there's one word to capture the Chinese women's cross-country skiing team's performance at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, it's "dominant".

They didn't just compete, they swept the board, claiming all individual event medals along with the gold in the team relay. Every single one of the six athletes stood tall on the podium.

"As a team, we are still among the best in Asia," said Wang Yan, the team leader.

"Our main rivals are Japan and Kazakhstan. The results at this Asian Winter Games surpassed our expectations, and the athletes delivered a series of outstanding performances."

None more outstanding than their performance in Wednesday's 4x5km cross-country relay at the Yabuli Sports Training Base, securing victory despite challenging weather conditions.

Li Lei, Chi Chunxue, Chen Lingshuang, and Dinigeer Yilamujiang were unstoppable, crossing the finish line with a lead of one minute and 25.02 seconds over Kazakhstan, which finished second.

In the opening leg, Kazakhstan's Xeniya Shalygina held a 3km lead, but it didn't take long for Li to overtake her. The Chinese team continued to extend their lead through each leg, with Li focusing on conserving energy and maintaining a steady pace early in the race.

"My strategy was to stay behind Xeniya Shalygina in the beginning, as it requires less effort to maintain second place. I focused on my rhythm and waited for the right moment to make my move," Li explained.

Chi Chunxue, racing the second leg, worked to extend the advantage.