Photo: People's Daily

China will dispatch a 286-member delegation to the upcoming 2026 ­Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, it was announced at a Beijing mobilization meeting on Tuesday - marking the launch of the country's largest-ever winter Olympic team to compete on foreign soil. 

The delegation comprises 126 athletes - 68 women and 58 men - alongside 160 coaches, officials and support staff. They will compete across seven major sports, 15 sub-disciplines and 91 events, representing China's most extensive participation in an overseas Winter Olympics. 

Delegation chief Gao Zhidan, also head of the General Administration of Sport, said that the fundamental goal is to achieve a double harvest of athletic performance and spiritual civilization.

With an average age of about 25, the roster spans a wide generational range. The eldest competitor is 41-year-old curler Xu Xiaoming, while the youngest is 17-year-old snowboarder Ren Zhongshuo. 

Of the athletes, 59 are Winter Olympic veterans, while 67 will make their Olympic debuts. Nine members of the squad are former 2022 Beijing Olympic champions. 

Among the veterans are freestyle skiing star Xu Mengtao, aerials specialist Qi Guangpu and halfpipe snowboarders Cai Xuetong and Liu Jiayu, all of whom competed in Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022. 

The Chinese freestyle skiing aerials squad is currently in North China's Hebei Province for final sprint training. Coach Ji Dong said the athletes are in good physical condition, with veterans like Xu and Qi passing on experiences to younger team members, helping them release psychological pressure so they can compete boldly. "The goal is to defend the Winter Olympics gold medal," Ji told reporters. 

The squad also features defending Olympic champions Gu Ailing, also known as Eileen Gu, and Su Yiming, alongside short track speed skating and figure skating gold medalists, underscoring China's medal aspirations across both traditional winter sports strengths and emerging disciplines. 

People take part in a flag-raising ceremony at the inaugural meeting of the Chinese delegation for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games in Beijing on January 27, 2026. Photo: cnsphoto

In strong events, the Chinese delegation will focus primarily on short track speed skating, freestyle skiing aerials and other disciplines, while also being competitive in certain sub-events of freestyle skiing and snowboarding.

In figure skating, Chinese athletes such as men's skater Jin Boyang and pairs duo Sui Wenjing/Han Cong are riding on their form at the just concluded Four Continents Championships, which was held in Beijing last week.

The Chinese delegation's secretary-general Wang Lei predicted that several events could bring surprises at the Games. 

"Men's and mixed team skeleton, middle-distance events in speed skating, as well as curling, ski jump and other events, are expected to become new highlights at this Winter Olympics," Wang told reporters. 

Wang noted the challenges that lie ahead for China's delegation at the Games. 

In short track speed skating, Canada has made rapid progress, while traditional powerhouses like the Netherlands, Italy and South Korea remain strong; in the freestyle skiing aerials, the team must face competition from Australia, the US, Ukraine and others.

Delivering a speech as the athlete representative at the mobilization meeting, skeleton athlete Yin Zheng stated on Tuesday that he will not fall short of expectations and will strive to slide at his best at the Games.

The young Chinese skeleton team is considered a highlight, having had several victories in international competitions in their buildup toward the Games. At the World Cup skeleton competition in St. Moritz earlier in January, Yin and teammate Zhao Dan won gold in the mixed team event.

The 29-year-old Yin said while it was delightful to win the World Cup mixed team gold, the Chinese team still faces significant challenges. 

"In previous World Cups, strong teams like the UK and Germany did not field their strongest main forces, but I believe we can achieve our best on the track at the Milan Olympics," he said.

At the Beijing Winter Olympics, Yin finished fifth in the men's skeleton. Yin indicated that the team has already tested the Milan Olympics track several times and adapted quickly. 

Featuring athletes from around the world vying across a record number of events, the Milan-Cortina Winter Games is scheduled to take place from February 6 to 22. 

China heads into the Games eager to build on its success from Beijing 2022, where it achieved a best-ever Winter Olympic medal haul on home ice and snow. 

Wang stated that since the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, China's ice and snow sports development has made great progress, naturally raising higher expectations. 

He added that he hopes the Chinese athletes will rise to difficulties and pressure, and "strive to showcase the charm of Chinese ice and snow sports to the people across the country during the Spring Festival."