China forges ahead in Winter Olympic sports

Claiming its first-ever Winter Olympic medal (a sliver) in Albertville 1992 and its first-ever gold at Salt Lake City 2002, China has collected 12 gold, 22 sliver and 19 bronze medals in the past 10 winter games.

Two years after its historic haul of 51 gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics, China reached its peak in winter sports with 11 medals, of which five are gold, in Vancouver 2010. For the first time China finished top 10 of the medals table at Winter Olympics.

So far, China has ever qualified to compete in 11 sports of the past Winter Olympics, namely short track speed skating, speed skating, figure skating, curling, ice hockey, freestyle skiing, Alpine skiing, Biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski jumping and snowboarding.

MILESTONES

Ye Qiaobo, born in 1964, ended China's medal drought in the Winter Olympics when she clinched a silver double in the women's 500m and 1,000m speed skating at Albertville 1992. Li Yan added a third silver in the women's 500m short-track speed skating as China finished 15th in the medals table of those Games.

Yang Yang (A), born in 1976, became China's first-ever Winter Olympic champion when she won the women's 500m short track speed skating title in Salt Lak City 2002. She added a second gold in the 1,000m short track at the same Games. One of the most accomplished short-track speed skaters of all time, Yang is now an IOC member.

Han Xiaopeng, born in 1982, was the first Chinese male athlete to ever win a gold medal at Winter Olympics. The freestyle skier was crowned in the men's aerials event in Turin 2006. It was also the county's first Olympic title in snow events.

Shen Xue/Zhao Hongbo gifted China its first-ever figure skating Olympic gold in Vancouver 2010, breaking Russia's perennial dominance. Shen/Zhao was also the first Chinese pair to win a World Championship.

Wang Meng, born in 1985, swept women's 500m, 1,000m and 3,000m relay short track speed skating titles in Vancouver 2010 to become the most decorated Winter Olympian in China. She also won a gold, a sliver and a bronze in Turin 2006. Unfortunately, she missed out on the Sochi 2014 due to foot injury.

Zhang Hong, born in 1988, stunned the world with the women's 1,000m speed skating title in Sochi 2014. It is China's first-ever Winter Olympic gold in long track.