The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics reflect China’s confidence and warmth

The delegation of the People's Republic of China parades into the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Predazzo, Italy, Feburary 6, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

On the evening of February 6, local time, the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics officially kicked off, blending a century of Olympic memories with the charm of modern technology and attracting global attention to the snow and ice spectacle at the foot of the Alps. The Chinese delegation comprises 286 members, including 126 athletes, and will compete across seven major sports, 15 sub-disciplines and 91 events, representing China's widest event participation and largest-ever team in an overseas Winter Olympics. This confidence stems from the rich legacy of the Beijing Winter Olympics and the continuous development of ice and snow sports in China.

As the competition begins, the Chinese public has made a deep impression with its mature viewing attitude. When Su Yiming landed on his second run of a 1980-degree spin in the finals, touching the snow with his hand and failing to secure gold on his third run, netizens remarked, "Collecting three-color medals is already legendary." During Gu Ailing's preliminary round, after a poor start and immense pressure in a "one jump determines everything" situation, the live stream was filled with encouragement to "let go of the burden and enjoy the competition." After the competition, Su said that his proudest moment was standing on the podium draped in the five-star red flag. The viewing attitude reflects the confidence of Chinese society and highlights the essence of sportsmanship.

The Winter Olympics are not being held on home ground for China, but "Chinese elements" are still prevalent both inside and outside the competition venues. Inside the venues, Chinese sports brands have tailored "close-fitting guarantees" for athletes. By utilizing 3D scanning modeling and AI technology to refine competition suit designs, athletes have praised the gear for feeling "like a second skin." Chinese companies have developed multi-model fusion algorithms that deliver clear "bullet time" freeze-frame views, enhancing the speed and beauty of winter sports for global audiences. Outside the venues, Alibaba's Qwen model offers multilingual event services for various national delegations, improving collaborative efficiency. Additionally, the intelligent traffic management system built on Chinese cloud technology enhances safety for travel in the snowy and windy Alpine region. From intelligent broadcasting to wearable equipment, and from AI services to traffic guarantees, Chinese technology is injecting new vitality into the Olympic events with wisdom and warmth.

In 2014, President Xi Jinping first proposed the initiative to promote winter sports across more regions in Sochi, aiming "to engage 300 million people in winter sports," thereby igniting the torch of China's ice and snow sports. Today, this vision has since become a reality, driving the development of winter sports and resulting in a leap of expansion to the south, west, and east. From 2016 to 2024, the scale of China's ice and snow industry surged from 364.7 billion yuan to 980 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 21 percent, and this figure exceeded 1 trillion yuan in 2025. Ice and snow tourism in the Altay region is booming, while the Greater Bay Area has established a "one-hour ice and snow economic circle." From southern regions to northern frontiers, winter sports have become integrated into the public's daily life, no longer constrained by seasonal and climatic limitations. During the 2024-2025 winter season, residents' participation in winter sports and the associated consumption surpassed 187.5 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of over 25 percent, significantly boosting surrounding industries such as retail, transportation, and dining.

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics serve as a showcase, highlighting the fruitful results of how China's winter sports empower both upstream and downstream industries as well as consumer terminals. It also demonstrates the foresight and scientific nature of China's policies related to the ice and snow industry. The popularization of winter sports not only enriches citizens' leisure activities and enhances their quality of life but also drives the development of integrated formats such as ice and snow tourism, equipment manufacturing, and event training, becoming a new growth point for promoting high-quality economic development. The progress of winter sports in China is an inevitable result of nationwide participation and industry empowerment.

From Beijing to Milan, the Winter Olympics have completed a magnificent "handoff." The opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, themed "Harmony," links tradition with the future and the local with the global. At the ceremony, the piano melodies of Chinese pianist Lang Lang intertwined with the voice of blind singer Andrea Bocelli, conveying the charm of Chinese culture to every corner of the world along with the ice and snow. In a time of frequent global conflicts and a complex, turbulent international situation, this tacit understanding between Eastern and Western cultures reflects the common pursuit of peace and integrated development that people around the world seek today.

The ice and snow celebration in Milan continues. Su's bronze medal is not the end, and Gu's journey has just begun. Countless Chinese athletes are striving to pursue their dreams on the competition stage. This ice and snow gala is not only a platform for athletes to showcase their talents but also a window for China to convey warmth and strength to the world. We sincerely wish the Chinese sports delegation and athletes from around the world great success in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and in deepening friendship.