Heat is on for ice and snow stars

Shen made the remarks on Wednesday while meeting with athletes and coaches at their training base in Beijing.

During the visit, Shen observed the training sessions of different teams, including curling, short-track speed skating and freestyle skiing, and inquired about the teams' training programs, measures to prevent injuries, as well as their logistical support.

The 2026 Winter Games feature 116 medal events — seven more than Beijing 2022 — to be contested at 13 venues spread out from Milan's urban areas to Italy's northern mountain regions, including Cortina d'Ampezzo, Bormio and Livigno, all renowned Italian Alps resort clusters.

After the completion of Olympic qualifiers for all ice events last week, Team China has qualified 20 men and 21 women for four of the total five ice sports in Milan — speed skating, figure skating, short-track and curling — with hockey the only one without Chinese representation, according to the National Winter Sports Administrative Center.

With qualifiers for all of the skiing, snowboarding and sliding sports still ongoing, an estimated 120 Chinese athletes are expected to make the cut before the Jan 19 deadline to compete in 86 medal events at the Games.

Following its mighty performance at home in 2022, Team China will send its largest ever delegation to an overseas edition of the Winter Games in February — a strong testament to its effective winter sports promotion, said Yu Haiyan, a deputy director of the administrative center.

"The expanding representation of Chinese athletes and teams in Milan backs up our country's goal to continue promoting winter sports after Beijing 2022," Yu said during media briefing on Tuesday.

"It shows that, with the care and support of the central government, the talent development at the elite and grassroots levels has flourished as expected."

Another impressive Olympic campaign, following the pinnacle of Beijing 2022, is very much needed to maintain the country's surging momentum in winter sports, with over 350 million people now engaged in ice and snow activities.