China’s Winter Olympic champion Gu Ailing has announced her withdrawal from the upcoming ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, due to injuries.
On Tuesday, Gu shared on social media platform Weibo that she suffered a “severe contusion” after a fall during the freeski street event at the 2025 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado, last month. She revealed that a subsequent injury during recent training has forced her to pull out of the competition.
“After my injury in the X Games Aspen 2025, I tried to recover and prepare for the following World Cup events, but unfortunately, I got injured again in training,” Gu wrote. “It is with a heavy heart that I have to withdraw from the Harbin Asian Winter Games, which I had long been looking forward to. I wish all Chinese athletes the best of luck. I will work closely with my doctors on rehabilitation and strive to return to competition as soon as possible this season.”
The Asian Winter Games are set to open on Friday and will conclude on February 14. Gu’s absence is a significant loss for the event, as she is a prominent figure in winter sports and an inspiration to young athletes worldwide.
