China's participation in Winter Olympics (1/10)

Chinese delegation arrive at the Olympic Village in the Lake Placid of the United States, January 30, 1980. China made its debut at the Lake Placid Winter Olympic Games in 1980, sending over 20 athletes to compete in speed skating, figure skating, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing and biathlon. Wang Guizhen finished 18th in the alpine skiing women's slalom, featuring China's best results at the Games. [Xinhua file photo]

The opening ceremony of the Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984, in the former Yugoslavia. Thirty-seven Chinese athletes took part in the Games, during which Jin Xuefei and Wang Guizhen finished 19th and 20th respectively in the alpine skiing women's slalom. [Xinhua file photo]

Chinese short-track speed skater Li Yan, left, poses for pictures with her coach at the 15th Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Canada, March 3, 1988. Li claimed gold medal in the women's 1,000m and bronze medals in the 500m and 1,500m at the Games, where short-track speed skating was a demonstration sport. [Xinhua file photo]

China's Ye Qiaobo celebrates at the Albertville Winter Olympics in France, Feburary 10, 1992. Sending 33 athletes to the Albertville Winter Games, China saw Ye clinch the country's first winter Olympics medal, a silver, in women's 500m speed skating. Ye then took her second silver in the women's 1,000m speed skating and Li Yan added another silver for China in women's 500m short-track speed skating, which entered the official program for the first time. That was the last Winter Games to be staged in the same year as the Summer Games. [Xinhua file photo]

China's Zhang Yanmei competes during women's 500m speed skating finals at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in Norway, February 24, 1994. A total of 28 Chinese athletes participated in the Games and took home three medals. Zhang Yanmei, who led most of the way but slipped with the finish line within sight in the women's 500m final, settled for a silver in short-track speed skating and veteran skater Ye Qiaobo struggled for a bronze medal in the women's 1,000m speed skating with bad injury to her left knee. Also at the Games, Chen Lu emerged as third-place finisher in the women's figure skating, winning China's first medal in Olympic figure skating. [Xinhua file photo]

China's Li Jiajun competes during men's 1000m speed skating finals at the 18th Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, February 17, 1998. With a record entry of 60 athletes to the Games, China strived for its first gold medal but finished with six silvers and two bronzes. Chinese short-track speed skaters reaped five silvers and one bronze. [Xinhua file photo]

Yang Yang of China celebrates after winning a gold medal of women's 500m short-track speedskating at the 19th Winter Games, in Salt Lake City, the United States, February 16, 2002. Seven days later, she added one more gold for her team in the 1000m short-track speedskating finals to become China's first woman athlete to win two short-track individual events at one Olympics. At the Games, China sent a total of 72 athletes, collecting two golds, two silvers and four bronzes to place 13th in the medal tally. [Xinhua file photo]

Chinese pair skaters Zhao Hongbo, left, and Shen Xue compete during the 19th Winter Games, in Salt Lake City, the United States, February 11, 2002. At the Games, China sent a total of 72 athletes, collecting two golds, two silvers and four bronzes to place 13th in the medal tally. [Xinhua file photo]

Chinese freestyle skier Han Xiaopeng celebrates at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, February 23, 2006. Han won gold in the men's aerials event at the Games and became the first Chinese male athlete to ever win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. [Xinhua file photo]

Four-time Olympic short track speedskating champion Wang Meng celebrates victory after the women's 500m final in the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, February 17, 2010. At the Games, China collected five golds, two silvers and four bronzes to place 7th in the medal tally. [Xinhua file photo]