Chen Ying-chu wins Taiwan's 1st-ever medal at Asian Winter Games

Taipei, Feb. 8 (CNA) Speed skater Chen Ying-chu (陳映竹) made history on Saturday as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the 2025 Asian Winter Games.

Competing at the HIC Speed Skating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.51 seconds in the women's 100-meter speed skating event, finishing third behind South Korean sprint skaters Lee Nahyum and Kim Minsun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds, respectively.

Her bronze medal ended Taiwan's medal drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the 1990 edition, the second iteration of the competition.

The 2025 Games mark Chen's debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speed skating, she won six medals at World Championships before transitioning to speed skating in 2023 to pursue her Olympic dream.

In addition to the 100-meter event, Chen is also set to compete in the women's 500-meter on Sunday and the 1,000-meter on Tuesday.

The 2025 Asian Winter Games features 1,270 athletes from 34 countries, including 67 from Taiwan.

Team Taiwan, competing under the name Chinese Taipei, entered as the 27th delegation during the opening ceremony on Friday, with women's hockey team captain Lin Yang-chi (林洋萁) and men's short track speed skater Lin Chun-chieh (林峻頡) serving as the nation's flag bearers.