Chinese national short track team head coach Zhang Jing (center in red) gives a lecture to the athletes at a training session on January 29, 2026 in Beijing. Photo: Lu Wenao/GT

The Chinese national short track speed skating team is set to depart for Milan this Saturday, heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics with a clear mission to "win glory for the country," according to the team's vice chief on Thursday.

The team will send a full quota of 10 athletes to Milan, comprising five men and five women. The team will compete in all eligible events, with relay races identified as the primary gold-medal targets. 

"Our objective is very simple: to win glory for our country," Liu Hao, vice team leader of the short track team, told the Global Times after an opening training session of the team on Thursday. "We strive to do our absolute best in every discipline."

The men's roster consists of Lin Xiaojun, Liu Shaoang, Sun Long, Zhang Bohao and Li Wenlong, as fans believe they possesses medal prospects in individual events as well as the relays. 

The women's team features veteran Fan Kexin alongside Gong Li, Zhang Chutong, Wang Xinran and Yang Jingru, who are expected to focus on securing podium finishes.

"The athletes are feeling a mix of excitement, anticipation, and maybe just a tiny bit of nervousness," Liu said of the mentality of the Chinese skaters. 

"The chance to go out and compete for the country, to represent the nation in an event like the Olympics. Everyone's got really high expectations, no doubt about it. I think they're all fully prepared and ready to go."

Relays remain China's most competitive discipline in short track speed skating. In the men's events, Chinese skaters have shown the capability to challenge for gold in sprint distances, maintaining a tradition of competitiveness at the Olympic level.

However, replicating China's performance at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where the team captured two gold, one silver and one bronze medal, will be a significant challenge. 

One of the key factors is the recent rise of Canada, led by star skater William Dandjinou, whose team has emerged as a dominant force in short track over the past two seasons.

The increased competitiveness of the field has raised the overall difficulty of the medal race in Milan, particularly in events where margins are often decided by hundredths of a second.

The Chinese team is scheduled to depart for Milan on Saturday, entering the final phase of Olympic preparations in Milan.