Introducing greater flexibility to the sports programme for the Asian Winter Games is being considered as a means to ensure more countries win medals.

after just five countries have won medals here at the ongoing event closing today.Japan, South Korea, China

Budapest’s bid for the 2024 Olympic Games was reduced to dust earlier this week, joining Hamburg, Rome and lest we forget Boston in being downed in this race alone. Just days before, Japanese officials and certainly a number of residents of Sapporo – although only a small sample size – were bustling with excitement about pursuing a bid for Winter Olympics.

of the standard of the four major sporting powers in the region – Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan and China

Arguably this is a pragmatic decision, as it appears extremely unlikely that even with heavy investment China

Five goals in the opening period powered hosts Japan to a gold medal clinching 6-1 victory over China

later.Aina Takeuchi added a fourth and then Rui Ukita managed a fifth.Japan proved far too strong for China

en route to gold ©ITGTo their credit, China kept fighting and were duly awarded when, against the run

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second placed mixed relay teams join together at the end of the race ©Izturgan AldauyevZhang Yiwei of China

terrible conditions in the men's slalom event ©Getty ImagesYu Xiaoyu and Zhang Hao won the gold medal for China

Sik Kim won pairs bronze to claim North Korea's first medal of Sapporo 2017 ©Getty ImagesZijun Li of China

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the country's performances in snow sports to match those in ice events by the time Beijing hosts the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2022.

rational planning, and we should learn from overseas expertise and use resources frugally,"According to China

Zhang Yiwei and Liu Jiayu each clinched victory in two high quality halfpipe snowboard finals taking place in blizzard-like conditions here at the Asian Winter Games today.

Zhang Yiwei of China, centre, won the men's halfpipe competition at the Asian Winter Games ©Getty ImagesLiu

Reigning Olympic champion Marielle Thompson topped the qualification round today at the International Ski Federation (FIS) Ski Cross World Cup as she looks to secure the Crystal Globe.

racing in sixth place.Other FIS Freestyle World Cup stages are also being held tomorrow.Thaiwoo in China

Young Chinese competitor Song Buhan showed nerves of steel at the first International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup appearance as he won the men’s 10 metre air rifle contest.

shooters ever.”Shi Mengyao, centre, won the women's 10m air rifle contest ©ISSFFurther success for China

Russia began the International Military Sport Council (CISM) World Winter Games in dominant fashion as they secured six gold medals on the opening day of competition in Sochi.

triumphed in the women's team event in a combined 1hr 10min 38.2sec, with France earning silver and China

the team cross-country skiing events, winning both the men's and women's competitions.Hongzhi Xu of China

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China celebrate winning the team curling gold medal over South Korea ©Getty ImagesBingyu Wang of China

proved a dominant winner in the men's large hill ski jumping ©Getty ImagesWang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu of China

programme ©Getty ImagesChina also won the men's curling gold medal today ©Getty ImagesWenqiang Wang of China

China avenged their defeats in the Pacific-Asia Curling Championships finals to take double Asian Winter

would hit back by scoring two points in the seventh, but it only proved to be a stay of execution as China

scored two points in the sixth to threaten a fightback.Their challenge would fall short though, as China

Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu clinched the first figure skating gold of Sapporo 2017 with a superb ice dancing performance to New York, New York here today.

and Kim Ju-sik lie in third place after today's short programme on 65.22Yu Xiauyu and Zhang Hao of China

Japan clinched a cross-country relay double at the Asian Winter Games here today by producing two superb tactical performances.

while Lenting added a second gold and a third medal.In the women's 4x5 kilometres race, Japan trailed China

Nanjing in China will host this year's International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) World Grand Prix Finals

The event in Nanjing will be the first World Grand Prix Finals to be held in China since 2012, where

Tie-breaker matches will be required to determine who will stay in the hunt for medals in the World Junior Curling Championships women’s competition and also the last team to be relegated.

robin stage with a 11-6 victory over Switzerland and will meet the US, who scored a 6-4 victory over China

, tomorrow in the first-against-second play-off.The day’s other results saw Sweden beat China 10-8 and

Turkey win 8-2 against Italy.Turkey, Italy and China are the three teams who have been relegated.The