Duke Kunshan University freshman Zihan Zhou won the men’s alpine giant slalom national title this week at the finals of China’s 12th National College Student Skiing Challenge, marking the university’s first national championship in an official event under the China Student Sports Federation.
The finals, which concluded on Jan. 20 at Songhua Lake Ski Resort in Jilin in northeastern China, drew more than 300 student-athletes and coaches from 60 universities, according to Chinese state media coverage of the event. The broader challenge season involved participants from 82 universities.
Zhou, a member of DKU’s Class of 2029, delivered a steady two-run performance, posting times of 22.45 seconds and 24.23 seconds for a combined 46.68 seconds. He finished 1.06 seconds ahead of the runner-up.
Organized by the China Student Sports Federation, the competition is considered one of China’s top collegiate winter sports events and is tied to the country’s pipeline for identifying university-level winter sport talent.
Zhou’s result also strengthens his bid in the selection pathway for the 2027 Winter World University Games, also known as the Winter Universiade, scheduled for Jan. 15–25, 2027, in Changchun, the capital of Jilin province.
Zhou began skiing at the age of 6 during winter holidays, then transitioned from recreational skiing to structured training in his early teens after watching high-level competitions. In high school, he trained during summer breaks in New Zealand to gain snow time in the Southern Hemisphere and exposure to international-level athletes.
“At the start, I just thought it was fun,” Zhou said. “But once I saw what high-level racing looked like, I wanted to train seriously.”
At DKU, Zhou is exploring an academic focus in applied mathematics and computer science while continuing to pursue competitive skiing. DKU’s flexible course schedule has helped him manage training and travel. Zhou typically trains on campus during the week and returns to Beijing for on-snow training on weekends.
“We’re committed to supporting him as he continues to train and work toward selection for the Winter World University Games,” said Zarko Krkeljas, director of DKU Athletics. “Results like this show what DKU student-athletes can achieve when they’re balancing rigorous academics with high-level competition.
Zhou has also expressed interest in expanding winter sports participation on campus, saying he has met classmates who enjoy skiing, ice hockey and skating but lack a formal student organization dedicated to winter sports.
