Ding Xuedong competes at the 2025 FISU Winter World University Games in Turin, Italy. Photo: Courtesy of Ding Xuedong

At the snowboard event of the 32nd Winter World University Games held in Turin, Italy on Tuesday, China's Ding Xuedong achieved the best result in history for a Chinese athlete in the men's Parallel Giant Slalom at the winter Universiade. 

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times after the race, Ding expressed mixed emotions. "While I made a breakthrough, I felt that my performance fell short of my optimal state and personal expectations. I had opportunities to achieve better results, but I didn't perform at my best," said the sophomore student at the Beijing Sport University.

"I'll definitely come back stronger for the next Universiade, and I'm determined to aim for higher goals," said the 23-year-old winter sports major.

According to Ding, the gap between him and the world's top athletes is not significant, and he has therefore set his sights on competing in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy.

A member of the Chinese delegation for the Turin Games who requested anonymity told the Global Times, on Tuesday, that the overall performance of Chinese snowboarders at this Universiade was an improvement compared to the previous edition in Lake Placid, the US. 

The most significant gain was the opportunity for more student-athletes to showcase their skills on the world stage through domestic qualifiers. Competing against elite athletes allowed them to identify both their strengths and areas for improvement while gaining valuable experience, said the member. 

Unpredictable ride

A total of 48 athletes from 13 universities across eight provinces, regions, and cities in China competed in six major events: Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, ski mountaineering, curling, and short track speed skating during the Turin Games, which runs from January 13 to 23. Among them, 45 athletes are representing China for the first time in a global multi-sport event.

Four male and female Chinese athletes participated in the Parallel Giant Slalom event respectively. As Ding reached the last 16, female snowboarder Cao Ludan also registered her personal best performance by making it to the same stage. 

Cao Ludan competes at the 2025 FISU Winter World University Games in Turin, Italy. Photo: Courtesy of the Turin Games

When sharing her reflections, Cao told the Global Times that it was an honor to compete with international athletes and a never-say-die attitude sustained her throughout the race. 

"I enjoyed the moment of crossing the finish line the most. It brought me joy and relief," said the 21-year-old who is currently pursuing her studies in "sports training" at the Northeast Normal University in Jilin Province.

Ding highlighted that the biggest allure of such an event lies in its many uncertainties, including the course, weather, wind, altitude drop, and temperature during the race time, all of which make the competition highly unpredictable.

As an Olympic event, the head-to-head competition sees two riders descend along two parallel winding courses with the winner advancing to the next round. It's one of the most exciting snowboarding events as riders navigate their way through the gates and the slalom turns at a speed of up to 70 kilometers per hour. 

The head-to-head format makes the race intense and exciting, said Ding who took up snowboarding in 2017.

Ding's result fell less than 3 seconds short of Bulgaria's Tervel Zamfirov, who won the gold medal in the event with a time of 32.76 seconds. 

Regarding room for improvement, Ding acknowledged that he can go faster and the gap between him and the world's top athletes is not significant. 

"It's a good opportunity to learn from the skiing posture of top athletes, adjusting the snowboard promptly based on course conditions, and most importantly, reflect on experiences and maintain a positive mind-set during competitions," he noted. 

Fostering exchanges

In addition to celebrating athletic excellence, the World University Games plays an important role in fostering exchanges among international student-athletes by providing a global platform for cultural interaction and mutual understanding.

The world university sports governing body is dedicated to enhancing university sports as a bridge between cultures among young people, Matthias Remund, secretary-general and CEO of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), told the Xinhua News Agency. 

China established a model with its Chengdu Universiade in 2023, showcasing student-athletes' exchanges in sports and cultures, said Remund.

Cao said that she enjoyed her communications with her American and Mongolian counterparts, as they traded ideas during the race.

For Ding, the Turin Games was like a reunion with friends. "I know a number of the riders from Asia and Europe, and we actually learned from each other."

While disappointed with his less-than-expected performance, Ding has shifted his focus to the upcoming national championships and Asian Cup in February. "The ultimate goal is to compete in the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics."