Photo: Li Hao/GT

Chinese winter sports athletes see room for improvement after participating in two international winter sports competitions in Beijing on Sunday but coming up sans gold.

Snowboarder Yang Wenlong bagged a bronze medal in the FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup with a score of 159.25 points, while the Chinese speed skating team bagged a men's team pursuit bronze medal at the ISU Speed Skating World Cup on Sunday.

China's Olympic champion Su Yiming failed to make it onto the podium after errors in his new 1980 trick attempts. Japan's Hiroto Ogiwara won the FIS Snowboard Big Air World Cup with a score of 169.50. 

In the women's freestyle ski big air final, Tess Ledeux of France won gold with a score of 168.25, while Chinese athletes Liu Mengting and Yang Ruyi finished in sixth and seventh place, respectively.

"Although my performance did not meet my expectations, I still consider this an important breakthrough for me," Liu said after the race.

Like many of her teammates, Liu noted that the year 2024 is a key one for preparing for the ­Olympics, and she plans to participate in many more competitions.

"I look forward to performing better in upcoming events and hope to execute my double-twisting 1440 jump more smoothly and consistently next time," she added.

Photo: Cui Meng/GT

In the ISU Speed Skating World Cup held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Chinese skaters bagged a total medal count of one silver and three bronze, surpassing their performance at the Nagano event held earlier where they earned one silver and one bronze medals.

Chinese skater Ning Zhongyan claimed the men's 1,000 meters bronze with a time of 1:07.91 on Saturday. US athlete Jordan Stolz took the gold and set a new track record in the men's 1,000 meters with a time of 1:07.62.

"It feels great to stand on the podium at home; it's recognition of the hard work I put in during my summer training," Ning told the reporters after the race. "Stolz is very strong, but I will continue to push myself to challenge and surpass him." 

In the women's event of speed skating, Chinese athlete Yang Binyu finished with a time of 8:29.72, securing the bronze medal.

The 22-year-old Yang Binyu noted after the match that while the women's mass start event may not yet be a strong point for China, she believes it will gradually become one in the future as long as they put enough effort into it.

"I believe that speed skating will gradually become one of China's strengths in the future, and this is also my goal," said Yang. "My focus was on finishing safely, while ensuring that actions from my competitors won't affect me. "

As the last full season before the Milan Winter Olympics, the Chinese athletes say it is crucial to find the right competition rhythm.

"The plan this season is to try new things and find the competition pace that suits us so that we can push hard during the Olympic season," said China's speed skater Tian Ruining.

After hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics, Beijing has made full use of its Olympic venues by opening them to the public. 

These iconic venues have become popular winter tourism landmarks, attracting numerous visitors to enjoy ice skating, skiing, and other ­activities.