For Ho Zhixuan, an amateur figure skater from Macao, finishing last at the National Winter Games is as big a triumph as wining medals.
"I'm proud of myself for having tried my best," said Ho. "I came here not for medals."
The 16-year-old Ho earned 18.77 points for short program and 39.89 for free skate, far behind his nearest rival in the youth group. The winner, Li Tangxu, scored 51.90 and 109.75 points respectively.
Despite his error-prone performance, Ho received a lot of applause from the stands.
"The rink is beautiful, and so many specators were cheering for me. I really enjoy the experience," said Ho, who began to skate when he was nine years old.
There is only an indoor rink in Macao due to its sub-tropical climate. And Ho doesn't have the finest coaches that his peers on the Chinese mainland enjoy. But he keeps practicing four times a week and trains for about two hours each time.
"I didn't start preparations for the National Winter Games until mid December last year," said Ho. "It's a little bit hasty."
Ho said that these National Winter Games has exposed the gap between him and well-trained professionals.
"I've learned a lot from my competitors. Hopefully I can execute some difficult jumps in the future as they can do," he said.
Nevertheless, Ho, the only representative of the Macao SAR at the National Winter Games, has regrets as well.
"Unlike me, the other skaters all have teammates. So I feel lonely sometimes. I hope next time there will be more Macao athletes taking part in the National Winter Games," he said.
