China’s winter sports ambitions reach new heights with the formation of its delegation for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics—the most expansive foreign outing in the nation’s history. From February 6 to 22, 126 athletes will chase glory in Italy across unprecedented territories, joined by 160 support staff for a total of 286 members.
Gender balance shines through with 68 women and 58 men competing in seven categories, 15 sub-items, and 91 events within the games’ 16 disciplines and 116 total competitions. Headline-grabbers include freestyle ski icon Gu Ailing, snowboarder Su Yiming, pairs skaters Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, plus aerial aces Shu Mengtao and Qiu Guangfu—all Olympic medalists.
Age diversity fuels the fire: the group’s mean age is 25, spanning from 41-year-old curler Shu Xiaoming to teenage snowboarder Ren Zhongshuo at 17. Cultural richness is evident with 16 minority athletes from Manchu, Tibetan, Uyghur, Kazakh, Hui, Mongolian, and Korean communities. Returnees total 59, nine bearing Beijing golds, complemented by 67 Olympian rookies hungry for impact.
Breaking past benchmarks, this team positions China as a winter powerhouse. Expect strategic depth, tactical brilliance, and potential medal hauls that could redefine the games’ narrative, as these athletes blend heritage, hustle, and high performance on Milan’s frosty arenas.