One of Taiwan's very few locally trained figure skaters, Li Yu-hsiang will be the country's sole representative in the sport at the Asian Winter Games, which got underway on Friday. He is one of 65 athletes representing subtropical Taiwan in the subzero temperatures of Harbin, China.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Sub-tropical Taiwan does not leap to mind when thinking of winter sports.
00:0718-year-old Li Yuxiang is one of the very few locally trained figure skaters, of whom
00:13even fewer are men.
00:16He's in training for the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China, where he'll be Taiwan's
00:20sole representative in figure skating.
00:23I've been training my heart and lungs, but I also have to pay attention to art, so I
00:32have to strengthen my dancing, and maybe do some up-and-down push-ups.
00:36In addition to increasing my heart and lungs, I also have to take care of my art skills.
00:43Because when you're skating on the ice, if you have to take care of both technique and
00:48art skills, it's actually very tiring.
00:51Li has been skating since he was eight years old.
01:14Over the years, he has trained with coaches from different countries in the lead-up to
01:18competitions.
01:19He believes that working with a variety of trainers has helped him improve faster and
01:24discover new styles.
01:26He's a very talented figure skater, and I think he was born in for figure skating.
01:35He has a great understanding of jumping, and he jumps with proper temp and control of his
01:44body.
01:45But he spends most of his time practicing alone in Taiwan.
01:49I think my strength is imitating other skaters.
01:53I look at photos of other skaters on the Internet and compare them with my own body.
02:02But while Li often trains alone, he says that does not mean he is alone on this path.
02:07If I have to be very strict, I think it's my grandma.
02:12She accompanies me to the ice rink every day.
02:15She wakes up early and sleeps with me.
02:19She is always there when I am training.
02:22Li will be up against tough competition in the upcoming Asian Winter Games, but he's
02:27already made a name for himself on the world stage.
02:30In 2023, he claimed the junior men's gold at the Asian Open in Bangkok, and last year
02:36he took the top spot at the Santa Claus Cup in Hungary.
02:39But for Li, this is only the beginning.
02:42He's determined to leave his mark on the world stage, starting with breaking into the
02:47top 10 at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin, then setting his sights on qualifying for
02:53the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
02:56Hang Xu and Tanyi Qi for Taiwan Plus.