Sawt Falasteen - China sends Olympic statement as tropics make Asian Winter Games history

The ninth edition of the regional Games -- but first since 2017 -- saw China win twice as many gold medals as nearest challengers South Korea as of Friday morning, with Japan third.

China enjoyed success in speed skating and swept the women's freeski golds despite missing Beijing Olympics hero Eileen Gu, who withdrew days before the Games with injury.

South Korea's world-class skaters came out on top in short track, winning two-thirds of the golds in the sport.

Naturalised Chinese short track skater Lin Xiaojun, the 2018 Olympic champion in the 1500m for South Korea, was the hosts' sole individual champion, clinching the men's 500m sprint.

A late clash between China's Lin and South Korea's Park Ji-won in the men's 5,000m relay cost both countries gold, with Kazakhstan taking the win.

In figure skating, where the field also contained world and Olympic medallists, South Korea's 23-year-old Cha Jun-hwan won men's singles gold.

That came hours after 18-year-old teammate Kim Chae-yeon beat out hot favourite Kaori Sakamoto of Japan for the women's crown.

"Sakamoto is such an excellent skater," Kim said, according to Yonhap News agency.

"I wanted to beat Sakamoto at least once at some point,and it's an honour to beat her at a big competition like this."

North Korean figure skater Ryom Tae Ok, who competed under a unified Korean flag at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, was second with Han Kum Chul in pairs skating.

Thailand's Teekhree Silpa-Archa paid a poignant tribute to members of her Boston skating club who died last month in the Washington plane crash that killed 67 people.

"I wanted to take them on an international stage and do it for them," she told AFP, having clutched photos of tragic teenage skaters Spencer Lane and Jinna Han.

Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines all won Asian Winter Games medals for the first time.

Philippines curler Alan Frei told AFP on Friday it felt "absolutely wild" to beat out two-time champions South Korea for a historic gold.

"This is so weird, isn't?" he said.

- 'Act of violence' -

Ski mountaineering made its Winter Asiad debut, a year before the sport will run for the first time at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.

China promptly won all nine available medals.

Saudi Arabia were at the Games for the first time, ahead of the desert kingdom hosting the next Asian Winter Games, in 2029.

Their eight-athlete team did not win a medal in either of their two events: men's curling and alpine skiing.

Controversy was never far away.

Four ice hockey players from Turkmenistan were suspended and thrown out of the Games after a violent aftermath following their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Hong Kong.

Footage on social media showed at least three Turkmenistan players throwing punches at Hong Kong players as referees attempted to intervene.

"I am very shocked and heartbroken. I strongly condemn this act of violence," said Hong Kong's chef de mission Kenneth Fok.

Z.Ramadan--SF-PST