Yan Wengang, slides during men's skeleton run 1 at the 2022 Winter Olympics, on February 10, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. Photo: VCG

Chinese skeleton athlete Yan Wengang said he hopes to perform better during Friday's finals in the hopes of winning a medal following his excellent results during two rounds of the Men's Skeleton on Thursday.

Yan came in 3rd and Yin Zheng in 7th for the Men's Heat 2 of Skeleton held in the Yanqing National Sliding Centre in Beijing on Thursday. Yin set a track start record of 4.60 seconds during the Men's Heat 1. 

German athletes Christopher Grotheer and Axel Jungk took the first two places. The last two heats will be held on Friday night, according to the official website of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. 

Yan rates his performance on Thursday at an 8, adding that he believes there is room for improvement in some areas. 

According to China News, the sport event of skeleton started late in China. The China National Team for skeleton was established in 2015 after the country's successful bid for the Olympic Winter Games that same year. 

Geng Wenqiang, who made a historic breakthrough for China by bagging a bronze in the men's skeleton at the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation World Cup in La Plagne, France in January, was surprisingly left out of China's Olympic list.

Yan and Yin, who were originally long jumpers, came to the winter sport just recently. The Beijing Games was their first official showing.

Yan expressed his excitement to represent China at the Winter Games for the first time. He said he has been training hard over the past few years and still hopes to show a better performance of himself.

"I would be satisfied if I can achieve results like today, but I still hope to perform better," he said with a confidence about Friday's event, the Beijing Daily reported.

Skeleton appeared in the Olympic program in Switzerland in 1928 and again in 1948. This sport requires a high level of explosiveness, concentration and control from athletes. According to the rules, Man's Skeleton lasts for two days, with two rounds of sledding every day, and the person with the fastest total four-heat skating time wins. The third and fourth rounds will be held on Friday evening, after which the first gold medal for the event at Beijing Games will be won.