Chinese skaters, snowboarders arrive in Italy for 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics

China's short track speed skating team and snowboard big air and slopestyle squads arrived in Italy early on Saturday, ahead of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The skaters and snowboarders are among the first members of the Chinese delegation to arrive since the competition venues were formally handed over for use.

After landing, the 10 members of the short track speed skating team were scheduled to head to their first training session.

"This time there are 22 of us, including the athletes, as well as two foreign coaches," said short track speed skating coach Zhang Jing. "It is manageable, but after a 12-hour overnight flight, we are quite tired. Now that we are arriving at the Olympic Village, the check-in process might be a bit complicated. Once that is done, we will adjust our training schedule according to our own timing."

Meanwhile, China's snowboard big air and slopestyle squads continued directly to the Livigno competition zone, which is located more than 200 kilometers from Milan, with the journey expected to take four to five hours, allowing team members to rest a bit more after their long flight.