Lee Seung-hun of the ROK competes in the Men’s Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe final at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Yabuli, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Feb. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)

HARBIN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Lee Seung-hun of the Republic of Korea clinched the gold medal in the Men’s Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe at the 9th Asian Winter Games on Saturday, achieving the highest score of 97.50 points.

China’s Sheng Haipeng secured the silver with 90.5, while Moon Hee-sung of the ROK took home the bronze with 88.50.

Sheng Haipeng of China competes in the Men’s Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe final, Feb. 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Xia Yifang)

The title race proved to be a closely contested battle between Lee and Sheng. Sheng started strong with his first run but was quickly outperformed by Lee, who followed immediately and took the lead with an impressive 96.00.

In the second and third runs, Sheng attempted higher-difficulty maneuvers, but he struggled to execute cleanly, allowing Lee to maintain control of the competition.

“I got injured during training yesterday, so I’m not entirely satisfied with my performance today,” Lee said after the competition. “Now, I'll focus on preparing for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and aim for a medal there,” he added.