Members of Team China celebrate after winning the Asian Winter Games women's cross-country skiing 4x5km relay on Wednesday. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

If there's one word to capture the Chinese women's cross-country skiing team's performance at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, it's "dominant".

They didn't just compete, they swept the board, claiming all individual event medals along with the gold in the team relay. Every single one of the six athletes stood tall on the podium.

"As a team, we are still among the best in Asia," said Wang Yan, the team leader.

"Our main rivals are Japan and Kazakhstan. The results at this Asian Winter Games surpassed our expectations, and the athletes delivered a series of outstanding performances."

None more outstanding than their performance in Wednesday's 4x5km cross-country relay at the Yabuli Sports Training Base, securing victory despite challenging weather conditions.

Li Lei, Chi Chunxue, Chen Lingshuang, and Dinigeer Yilamujiang were unstoppable, crossing the finish line with a lead of one minute and 25.02 seconds over Kazakhstan, which finished second.

In the opening leg, Kazakhstan's Xeniya Shalygina held a 3km lead, but it didn't take long for Li to overtake her. The Chinese team continued to extend their lead through each leg, with Li focusing on conserving energy and maintaining a steady pace early in the race.

"My strategy was to stay behind Xeniya Shalygina in the beginning, as it requires less effort to maintain second place. I focused on my rhythm and waited for the right moment to make my move," Li explained.

Chi Chunxue, racing the second leg, worked to extend the advantage.

Dinigeer Yilamujiang reacts after crossing the finishing line. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

"My job was to widen the gap and relieve pressure for my teammates on the final two legs," she said.

As the anchor, Dinigeer crossed the finish line with ease, thanks to the strong efforts of her teammates.

"It wasn't just my performance — it was a true team effort," Dinigeer said.

"All four of us contributed toward the victory."

Dinigeer, who competed in all three women's events, earned three podium finishes: gold in the relay, silver in the 5km free, and bronze in the sprint classic. The team celebrated their victory together at the finish line, proudly waving the national flag.

Chi, 27, who had been studying in Russia from October to early January without getting a chance to train regularly, claimed gold in the relay and bronze in the women's 5 km free. She expressed satisfaction with her performance despite the challenges.

"Balancing academics and training was difficult," she said. "If I have the opportunity to prepare for the Olympic cycle, I will focus more on training and continue to pursue my passion and dreams."

"Every athlete has their own dream. Personally, I aspire to compete at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. Having participated in the Pyeongchang and Beijing Games, I hope to reach a higher level before the end of my career and give these final years my best effort."

China's Li Lei (center) in action on Wednesday. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

Li, 30, the oldest member of the team, took home gold in both the relay and women's sprint classic. A seasoned competitor, Li previously won a gold, a silver, and a bronze in the cross-country skiing at the 14th National Winter Games.

Regarding next year's Winter Olympics, she said: "It's every athlete's dream, and I will continue striving toward that goal."

Bayani Jialin earned her first Asian Winter Games gold in the women's 5 km free on Sunday. Though she did not participate in the relay, she was present to cheer on her teammates.

"My success is also due to the support of my team," said the 25-year-old skier. "We help each other out — when I have weaknesses, I learn from my teammates and work to improve. We all grow and learn together."

At Beijing 2022, Bayani, along with Chi, Li Xin, and Ma Qinghua, helped secure 10th place in the women's relay, setting a new Olympic record for China in the event. Now, Bayani has committed to intensive training as she sets her sights on qualifying for Milano-Cortina next year.

Team leader Wang emphasized that, much like the Winter Olympics, the Asian Winter Games provided valuable international competition experience for the athletes.

"Our impressive results at this event were largely due to the contributions of our foreign coaches," he said. "Bernhard Ronning, who coaches the women's team and also serves as a wax technician preparing the team's skis, has been working with the Chinese team for about seven years. He is highly familiar with the strengths of Chinese athletes, and has extensive knowledge of both domestic and international skiing."

Wang also noted that while the team's performance at the Asian Winter Games was outstanding, their primary focus remains securing a spot at the Winter Olympics. Following the Games, the team will immediately head abroad to continue competing and working toward earning that qualification.