Winter Athletes and the Determination for Festive Domination
- Melinda Olivia Jasmine
- Dec 18, 2025
- 5 min read
The world’s focus turns to the year end culmination of winter sports as winter descends in the Northern Hemisphere. Rinks and slopes turn into international arenas where up and coming athletes try to set records, seasoned professionals reveal dangerous tricks, and grit makes up their entire schedule.
Athletes from a variety of winter sports, from the precision of ice skating to the fierce pace of ice hockey, and the gravity defying spectacle of snowboarding, are putting on some of the most thrilling performances of the year. However, beneath the whirling ice and pure white snow, deeper tales of perseverance, sacrifice and tradition, comes stories from the athletes that have shaped this sports category.
The International Skating Union (ISU) has reported an increase in scoring records this year, especially among junior skaters, who have improved their technical skills. At the ISU Grand Prix Final, 17 year old phenomenon Mao Shimada dazzled spectators with a nearly flawless free skate that scored her once again the highest points. This marks her fourth consecutive year topping the leaderboard. Sports commentators called this accomplishment “an incredible feat” and marks her as one of the most decorated women’s junior figure skaters of the year. Young skaters are expanding the boundaries of the sport and learning to attempt incredible tricks every day.
Meanwhile, seasoned competitors dominate the men’s division. Now in his early twenties, Ilia Malinin claimed the men’s title at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships, landing an impressive six quadruple jumps in his free skate, defending his world champion status. His performance this season consists of high technical difficulty and dominant wins, making him remain the standout male figure skater in 2025. After the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships, Malinin said that he wanted his performance to be “effortless” and he did just that.
There have been a number of astounding accomplishments in snowboarding. Olympic champion Chloe Kim continued to revolutionise the sport with her remarkable amplitude and technique. She obtained her third world championship at the 2025 FIS Snowboard World Championships, winning the halfpipe final with flying colours on the leaderboard. “I’m proud of myself for going out there and sending it,” she said in an interview. It truly is a time of high risk and even higher reward for snowboarding.
Few people truly understand the difficult lifestyle that winter athletes lead, even as fans marvel at perfect spins and goals that earn medals. The months preceding winter championships see a sharp increase in training intensity. Many athletes travel around competitive circuits or spend their holidays away from home, isolated in training camps. “The emotional weight of year-end tournaments is enormous,” says sports and exercise psychologist Helen Davis. “Athletes have the mental strain to perform at their best while feeling the pull of family and the holiday season at home.” Keeping those two worlds in balance is a constant struggle.
Years or even decades of parental sacrifice provide the foundation of success. This is a universal truth among many sports. Figure skaters recall pre-dawn training sessions, cross country travel for competition, and parents refinancing homes to sustain their emerging careers. While hockey families manage equipment costs, club fees, and national tournaments, snowboarders rely on their parents to drive them to ski slopes. The holiday season often turns into a time for introspection and appreciation of the networks of support that helped form their careers, from parents, to coaches and teammates.
As major leagues step up their midseason competitions and international junior tournaments garnering global interest, ice hockey also takes center stage over the Christmas season. Every year in December, the world’s most talented young players compete in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Coaches characterise the competition as “equal parts skill and national pride,” with roster positions being highly competitive.
But hockey is not just defined by powerhouse nations like Canada, the U.S., or Sweden. Smaller hockey communities around the world continue to grow, motivated by the global holiday buzz around the sport.
Even in tropical Malaysia, interest in winter sports has been steadily rising. Indoor rinks, from Sunway Pyramid Ice to the Malaysia National Ice Skating Stadium (MYNISS) in Kuala Lumpur, have become training hubs for young skaters and hockey players who dream of competing internationally. MYNISS, built for the 2017 SEA Games, has played a transformative role in elevating Malaysia’s winter sports profile.
Promising figureskaters from Malaysia include Julian Yee, who made history by participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics. In Malaysian sports, Yee’s trip continues to serve as a benchmark, demonstrating how tenacity can overcome cultural and climatic norms. His journey continues to serve as an inspiration to local coaches, encouraging new skaters to dedicate themselves to increasing technical difficulty, developing their artistic skills, and training more consistently.
The national ice hockey team or Malaysia has also become more popular . The team has shown consistent progress while participating in regional competitions organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). To nurture new talent, the Malaysia Ice Hockey Federation (MIHF) established local leagues and youth development initiatives. The Star was recently informed by a MYNISS youth coach that “the interest always spikes in December.” The youth get interested in hockey, families come in to skate, and soon new players join our development programs.
Local skaters deal with the same challenges as international athletes : juggling school, training costs, early practices, and the psychological toll of competing. However, despite the absence of natural winter conditions in the nation, their stories are noteworthy because they reflect a growing sporting culture.
Ultimately, winter sports flourish around the holidays because they represent the spirit of tenacity, solidarity and joy. In addition to competing for medals, athletes skate, leap and pursue personal goals and the aspirations of their supporters.
Winter sports provide more than just a competition, as supporters from all over the world watch from living rooms lit by Christmas trees or busy year end get-togethers. They serve as a reminder that brilliance frequently results from hardship. Discipline can lead to artistry. The human tales behind every victory are heartwarming, resilient, and deeply touching, even in the coldest stadiums.
From Olympic champions to emerging Malaysian talents, winter athletes continue to chase the moments that define their careers. Their bravery, fervor, and determination light up the season and attract spectators around to see the best of winter sport in all its icy and snowy splendor.
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