CHONGLI, China, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's 18-year-old freeskier Lin Hao missed the men's big air final at the FIS Freeski and Snowboard Big Air World Cup here on Friday but said he was generally satisfied with his performance.

In a competitive qualifying round, Lin, who finished fourth in men's slopestyle at the Harbin Asian Winter Games in February, placed 26th in the second group.

"My performance today was okay," he said. "I felt I was a bit short in some aspects. I completed the tricks I had planned and achieved something I wanted to push for. My air tricks were good, but I landed a bit far."

"There are still some tricks I haven't fully prepared. I hope I can show more later this season," he added.

Born in 2007, Lin has trained in skiing for nearly seven years. He said he fell in love with the sport immediately and switched from gymnastics to freeskiing by "a coincidence."

"I got injured during gymnastics training at that time, and my coach recommended me to the ski team," said the Zhejiang native. "Although this sport is dangerous and injuries often happen in training, I really enjoy it. I will continue to work hard in the future."

"At first my parents were very worried about me, but now they feel at ease. They sensed that I truly love it. Which skier doesn't fall? Right? But if you pick yourself up and keep training, things will get better," he said.

He praised the Genting Secret Garden Snow Park venue. "This course is really nice. I feel very comfortable here. It's great," he said. "There were so many people watching today. They were all cheering for me. Their enthusiasm really motivated me."

With the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics approaching, Lin said the Games are on his mind. "I'm a bit nervous and a bit excited," he said. "Every night before I close my eyes, I think about how to train, how to improve myself, and which areas I need to strengthen."

Away from the slopes, Lin said he enjoys music and extreme sports. "I like music, I like skiing, and I like extreme sports," he said. "Oh, I've released songs on NetEase Cloud Music. If you're interested, you can listen."

He encouraged young Chinese athletes to compete confidently. "I want young Chinese athletes to be brave and be themselves, to show our spirit on the world stage. Be more open, try the tricks you want to do, and don't leave regrets in your youth," he said. "We have strong support from the country, so we should train boldly and keep pushing ourselves."

Lin competed here with some of the world's top skiers, including 2025 freeski big air world champion Luca Harrington, who finished fourth to make the final. France's Matias Roche led the heats with 96.25 points.

"Today I competed with foreign athletes, including some of the best in the world. They are really amazing," said Lin. "Some are older than me, some the same age, but there is still quite a gap. There are many things I need to learn from them. I respect them." ■