Yabuli, China – February 9, 2025 – Japan dominated the alpine skiing events at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Yabuli, securing both gold medals. Takayuki Koyama triumphed in the men’s slalom event, delivering an impressive performance on Sunday.
Koyama started strong, finishing second in the first run with a time of 44.83 seconds. He gained momentum in the second run, clocking in 43.29 seconds, which propelled him to victory with a total time of 1 minute and 28.12 seconds.
South Korea’s defending champion, Jung Dong-hyun, earned the silver medal, trailing Koyama by just 0.97 seconds. Japan’s Neo Kamada rounded out the podium with a bronze, finishing 1.13 seconds behind the winner.
Reflecting on his victory, Koyama said, “The second run was fast, and I focused on maintaining my speed and warming up my body to turn the competition around.” He also noted the challenge of his tight schedule, arriving just two days ago without time for official training. “It was an honor to compete against skiing legend Jung, and I’m thrilled to have won,” he added.
In the race, China’s national slalom champion, Liu Xiaochen, finished in seventh place, while teammates Chao Xinbo, Sun Xinmiao, and Li Jinyang placed ninth, 13th, and 15th, respectively.
Liu, competing as the first starter in his international debut, expressed his nerves but found his stride in the second run. “I was a bit nervous at first and skied conservatively to avoid falling. In the second run, I pushed myself harder,” Liu said. Looking ahead to the 2026 Winter Olympics, he plans to intensify his training to address weaknesses and improve his physical fitness during the summer.
The event marked a strong showing for Japan, reaffirming its dominance in alpine skiing at the Asian Winter Games.
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