Taking thrills and chills to a new level

With less than a year to go before the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics open in Italy, Harbin 2025 has also offered Asia's ambitious medal contenders an invaluable "dress rehearsal" ahead of the ultimate Olympic test.

The inclusion of the new Olympic discipline of ski mountaineering in Harbin 2025's program, in particular, has helped young aspirants gauge their strength and adjust their pace as they look to scale the podium's heights at skimo's Olympic debut in Italy.

"Within Asia, the Chinese team is among the strongest in ski mountaineering, but there is still a gap compared to European powerhouses. We look forward to testing ourselves against them on the Olympic stage," said China's men's sprint gold medalist, Buluer.

Off the ice and snow, the warmth of the Chinese hosts and the breathtaking scenery around the "Ice City" have left overseas participants impressed.

"We were overwhelmed. It exceeded our expectations," Ahmed Al Shaya, coach of Kuwait's curling team, said in Harbin. "It's the first time for me in China, first time in Harbin. It's a great city, very welcoming. I like the people, I like the volunteers, they're doing a great job. The organization and everything that we've seen so far was way beyond our expectations."