Lin Qinwei, from Wencheng county, Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

Lin Qinwei, from Wencheng county, Wenzhou, recently won the men's skeleton championship at the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) European Cup in Norway. This is his best result and represents the first European Cup title for China this season.

Lin expressed that he felt honored to wear the national flag and sing the national anthem on the world stage.

Skeleton is a winter sport that uses a sled to slide down an ice track. Athletes lie prone on the sled, facing down and forward, and slide down as fast as possible.

Lin defeated Lucas David Nydegger, a formidable rival from Germany, with a time of 1 minute and 43.12 seconds.

Lin started as a track and field athlete when he was 11, specializing in sprinting and triple jump, and won several national and provincial medals.

He transitioned to the skeleton event in preparation for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but narrowly missed the selection by 0.2 seconds. In November 2023, he won two fourth places in the men's single and team relay skeleton at the 14th National Winter Games.

Wenzhou has witnessed strong development of ice and snow sports in recent years. Wang Renwen, a post-00s generation athlete from Wenzhou, recently won the national championship in aerials and qualified for the 14th National Winter Games.