https://www.scmp.com/rss/520799/feed The 2026 Winter Olympics will be staged in three regions in Italy between February 6 and 22, with cities Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo the main hosts. It will be the third time the country has hosted a Winter Games, following Cortina in 1956 and Turin in 2006. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Olympic gold medallists and short-track speed skaters Shaolin Sándor Liu and Liu Shaoang are in the spotlight again. The brothers walked the runway at the 10th anniversary show of the Chinese-born designer Feng Chen Wang’s eponymous label at Shanghai Fashion Week at the end of March, much to their fans’ delight. It marked their fashion runway debut. Born to a Hungarian mother and Chinese father, the Lius competed for Hungary at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics, making history for Hungary with... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3350461/meet-liu-shaoang-and-shaolin-sandor-liu-olympic-gold-skaters-who-made-their-runway-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3350461/meet-liu-shaoang-and-shaolin-sandor-liu-olympic-gold-skaters-who-made-their-runway-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 22:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse American skiing star Lindsey Vonn said on Tuesday that she had no regrets about her ill-fated Olympic comeback two months after crashing out of the Winter Games in a fall that almost led to her leg being amputated. The 41-year-old suffered multiple fractures in her left leg after a high-speed fall during the Olympic downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo on February 8, ending her bid to crown her return to skiing, after a near six-year absence from the sport, with a medal. But Vonn said in an interview... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3349330/american-skiing-star-lindsey-vonn-says-she-has-no-regrets-after-winter-olympic-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3349330/american-skiing-star-lindsey-vonn-says-she-has-no-regrets-after-winter-olympic-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 04:26:39 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Su Yiming secured his second Crystal Globe trophy of the season on Saturday, concluding a dominant 2025-26 campaign that saw him reach the podium in every international event he entered in slopestyle and big air. Following the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS)’s decision to cancel Sunday’s men’s slopestyle event at the Park & Pipe World Cup Finals, the Chinese snowboarding star finished top of the standings with 140 points. Persistent bad weather in Silvaplana, Switzerland, and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348252/chinese-snowboarding-star-su-yiming-claims-second-crystal-globe-trophy-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348252/chinese-snowboarding-star-su-yiming-claims-second-crystal-globe-trophy-season?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Chinese Olympic speed skating champion Ning Zhongyan is set to trade his blades for football boots, joining his hometown side Harbin to play in the 2026 Northeast China City Football League. Ning, who won the 1,500m speed skating event at last month’s 2026 Winter Olympics, could face another gold medallist on the football pitch, with Milano-Cortina aerials skiing champion Wang Xindi also confirming his participation in the same tournament. Ning, 26, will arrive for the amateur tournament, which... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348202/chinese-winter-olympic-champions-ning-zhongyan-wang-xindi-play-football-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3348202/chinese-winter-olympic-champions-ning-zhongyan-wang-xindi-play-football-league?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 02:00:18 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan Athletes of Asian heritage have come to the fore at this month’s Winter Olympics. They broke records, reshaped perceptions and inspired millions worldwide. Yet in the United States, the conversation around two of the most successful athletes, Eileen Gu, the freestyle skier representing China, and Team USA figure skater Alysa Liu, has too often drifted from their incredible achievements to questions of identity, loyalty and partisan point-scoring. This speaks volumes about the anxieties of a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345433/let-achievements-eileen-gu-and-alysa-liu-speak-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3345433/let-achievements-eileen-gu-and-alysa-liu-speak-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympics start on Friday, but the atmosphere at the opening ceremony has been dampened by Ukraine leading a boycott against the presence of a handful of Russian competitors in the competition. Ukraine’s team will skip the ceremony in Verona in protest against the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to compete under their respective national flags rather than as neutrals. Russia and Belarus had been banned... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3345564/milano-cortina-winter-paralympics-start-icy-blast-ukraine-lead-ceremony-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3345564/milano-cortina-winter-paralympics-start-icy-blast-ukraine-lead-ceremony-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu said representing China had allowed her to fulfil her mission of popularising winter sport and dismantling gender barriers, but acknowledged it was something “a lot of people won’t understand or believe”. The 22-year-old, who brought her career total to six medals at last month’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, wrote on social media on Tuesday that her decision had turned her dreams into reality and maximised her global impact, encouraging young girls especially... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3345392/eileen-gu-says-people-wont-understand-or-believe-why-she-decided-compete-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3345392/eileen-gu-says-people-wont-understand-or-believe-why-she-decided-compete-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Hong Kong’s skating community is riding a new wave of confidence after Joey Lam Ching-yan’s historic seventh-place finish at Milano-Cortina 2026, the city’s best result at the Winter Olympics. For the first time, Hong Kong had both male and female skaters at the same Winter Games, marking a milestone for a city better known for subtropical heat than frozen rinks. “Our next major goal is to qualify in both short-track speedskating and figure skating,” Melody Yip Tan-tan, chairwoman of the Hong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3344953/hong-kongs-skaters-see-bright-future-after-milano-cortina-obstacles-still-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3344953/hong-kongs-skaters-see-bright-future-after-milano-cortina-obstacles-still-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 04:00:32 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345635/women-driving-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3345635/women-driving-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Hilary Knight, captain of the victorious US women’s Olympic ice hockey team, said Wednesday it was unfortunate that a “distasteful joke” by President Donald Trump had overshadowed the achievements of US athletes at the Milan-Cortina Games. The US men’s ice hockey team took a congratulatory call from Trump as they celebrated their gold medal victory over Canada. The president invited them to his State of the Union address and added he would have to ask the triumphant women’s team as well or risk... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344659/us-womens-ice-hockey-captain-responds-distasteful-trump-remark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3344659/us-womens-ice-hockey-captain-responds-distasteful-trump-remark?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:59:19 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The Winter Olympic Games have gone into hibernation again for four years, until the relighting of the Olympic flame in 2030 by the next host – the French Alps. Norway will be aiming to top the gold-medal count for the fifth consecutive time, but many eyes will be on China to see if it can sustain its rise as a winter sports power. In the Milano Cortina games, the country has just achieved its best result in a Winter games outside China – five gold medals, four silver and six bronze. That may not... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344349/olympic-results-entrench-chinas-rise-winter-sports-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3344349/olympic-results-entrench-chinas-rise-winter-sports-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 22:45:07 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa US hockey player Jack Hughes quite literally fought tooth and nail at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The 24-year-old centre for the NHL’s New Jersey Devils scored the winning goal against Team Canada in the gold medal game on Sunday after taking a stick to the face and losing two of his teeth. This is the third time the US has won the Olympics men’s ice hockey gold, and the first since 1980. Hughes’ missing front teeth barely seem to have dampened his mood. “I looked on the ice and saw my... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3344317/meet-us-hockey-player-jack-hughes-who-scored-golden-goal-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3344317/meet-us-hockey-player-jack-hughes-who-scored-golden-goal-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:00:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara It was Su Yiming, on a 22nd birthday he will never forget, who ended China’s anxious 12-day wait for Winter Olympics gold in Italy. “I told myself only gold would allow our anthem to be played,” Su said. “In an international competition like this, letting the world hear China’s anthem means everything.” By the time Milano Cortina passed the Games torch across the border to the French Alps on Sunday, March of the Volunteers had been beamed into living rooms around the world a further four... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344325/winter-olympics-china-enjoy-best-overseas-medal-haul-eileen-gu-looking-ahead-next-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344325/winter-olympics-china-enjoy-best-overseas-medal-haul-eileen-gu-looking-ahead-next-games?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 08:01:54 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics was nothing short of a fashion show, given Milan’s history as one of the world’s fashion capitals – it’s also, of course, home to iconic brands like Prada, Armani, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and more. Running from February 6 to 22, the Olympics featured quite a few fashion highlights, including stunning team kits like Team USA’s Ralph Lauren knits to Team Mongolia’s viral uniforms by Goyol Cashmere. We also saw quite a few designer brands sported by... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3344295/13-dazzling-looks-winter-olympics-2026-mariah-carey-roberto-cavalli-charlize-theron-versace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/fashion/celebrity-style/article/3344295/13-dazzling-looks-winter-olympics-2026-mariah-carey-roberto-cavalli-charlize-theron-versace?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 05:31:01 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport China’s freestyle skiing golden couple Wang Xindi and Xu Mengtao have been urged to have a baby after making history at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Wang and Xu became the first married couple to win individual men’s and women’s gold medals in the same event in the same Olympic Games. On Wednesday, Xu, 35, defended the women’s aerials gold medal she won in Beijing 2022. Two days later, the 30-year-old Wang triumphed in the men’s event. Following their historic achievement, Wang and Xu... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344250/written-snow-wang-xindi-xu-mengtao-embrace-role-chinas-golden-couple-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344250/written-snow-wang-xindi-xu-mengtao-embrace-role-chinas-golden-couple-games?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 01:00:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse At the foot of an active volcano in northern Japan, shouts ring out, competitors size each other up and snowballs whistle through the air in a very serious game of yukigassen – a sport with Olympic dreams. The competition taking place this weekend is held every year in Sobetsu, a town on the main northern island of Hokkaido, where this game, essentially a snowball fight, became a sport 37 years ago. On the field, brute strength is not enough. Japan’s yukigassen federation emphasises the “mental... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3344244/japanese-snowball-fight-game-yukigassen-has-designs-becoming-olympic-sport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3344244/japanese-snowball-fight-game-yukigassen-has-designs-becoming-olympic-sport?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 13:00:08 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball China’s Eileen Gu became the most decorated freestyle skier in the history of the Winter Olympics after winning halfpipe gold on Sunday, then learned moments later that her grandmother had died. The 22-year-old Gu added a sixth medal to her already impressive collection, successfully defending a title she won as part of her triple haul at the Beijing Games four years ago. No other freeskier, man or woman, has won as many as Gu, who is the only woman to have competed in all the park and pipe... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344263/eileen-gu-ends-winter-olympics-high-grabs-gold-womens-halfpipe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344263/eileen-gu-ends-winter-olympics-high-grabs-gold-womens-halfpipe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:05:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Eileen Gu was forced to wait for her final chance to win an Olympic gold at the Milan-Cortina Games as heavy snow forced organisers to postpone the women’s freeski halfpipe final. The event at Livigno Snow Park, high in the Italian Alps, was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday evening. But hours of relentless snow and poor visibility made it impossible to hold the competition. The final has been pushed back to Sunday morning, the final day of competition in Italy, with better weather... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344232/eileen-gu-forced-wait-heavy-snow-postpones-olympic-halfpipe-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344232/eileen-gu-forced-wait-heavy-snow-postpones-olympic-halfpipe-final?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 19:21:42 +0000 Reuters,Associated Press Reuters,Associated Press The United States won ⁠gold in the ⁠Olympics freestyle skiing mixed team ⁠final on Saturday, retaining their 2022 title, while Switzerland won silver and favourites China claimed bronze. The Americans stormed to victory after failing to reach the podium in this week’s women’s and ‌men’s finals, where China took golds through husband-and-wife couple Wang Xindi and Xu Mengtao. The Chinese medal bid ‌was spoiled by mistakes from Wang and Li Tianma, the bronze medallist in the men’s, who both... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344222/crashes-cost-china-third-freeski-aerials-title-united-states-retain-mixed-team-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344222/crashes-cost-china-third-freeski-aerials-title-united-states-retain-mixed-team-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:30:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The two best bets to win the gold medal in women’s halfpipe skiing at the Winter Olympics were born in the United States. But while Zoe Atkin, who led qualification into the final on Saturday (Sunday 2.30am, Hong Kong time), competes for Britain, hardly anyone raises a fuss about it. However, Eileen Gu competes for China and never hears the end of it. Stories of athletes who lived in one country then decided to compete for another are nothing new to international sports. Throw some Olympic rings... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344207/halfpipe-medal-favourites-were-both-born-us-only-chinas-eileen-gu-gets-heat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344207/halfpipe-medal-favourites-were-both-born-us-only-chinas-eileen-gu-gets-heat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:10 +0000 SCMP Sport,Reuters SCMP Sport,Reuters Hong Kong’s Joey Lam Ching‑yan finished seventh in the final of the women’s 1,500m short-track speedskating at the Milano Cortina Games on Friday, the city’s best finish at the Winter Olympics. Lam finished with a time of 2:35.755 in a final that was won by Kim Gil-li of South Korea, followed by compatriot Choi Min-jeong with silver and Corinne Stoddard of the US claiming bronze. The best finish before Lam was Han Yueshuang’s 18th place, also in speed skating, at the 2006 Turin Winter... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3344193/hong-kong-speed-skater-joey-lam-dreaming-after-claiming-citys-best-finish-winter-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3344193/hong-kong-speed-skater-joey-lam-dreaming-after-claiming-citys-best-finish-winter-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 03:11:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Wang ⁠Xindi took gold in freestyle ⁠skiing men’s aerials at the Winter Olympics on Friday to strengthen China’s dominance in the discipline. The 30-year-old took over the crown from compatriot and five-time Olympian Qi Guangpu, who came sixth and ‌last in the final. After beginning the week without a single gold medal, China has now won four in the past two days. It was Wang’s first podium after three Winter Games. At Beijing 2022, China won gold in men’s and women’s aerials and silver in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344182/wang-xindi-king-aerials-chinas-golden-week-continues-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344182/wang-xindi-king-aerials-chinas-golden-week-continues-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 15:48:17 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,Ann Cao Xiaofei Xu,Ann Cao As American figure skater Ilia Malinin launched into a quad – a jump with four airborne revolutions – at this month’s Winter Olympics, millions of television viewers witnessed something brand new: a replay of the jump separated into frames that appeared to orbit the athlete. It was just one of many new perspectives offered to viewers thanks to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, where the technology is not only enhancing broadcasts but also helping... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344139/how-chinese-artificial-intelligence-put-new-spin-winter-olympics-action?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344139/how-chinese-artificial-intelligence-put-new-spin-winter-olympics-action?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar US Olympian Alysa Liu just won a gold medal in women’s figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, becoming the first to win that honour for the States in 24 years. Her triumphant long programme, performed to Donna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite”, earned a standing ovation and a total of 226.79 points. “When I was skating, hearing the cheers, I felt so connected with this audience. I want to be out there again,” the 20-year-old said, per The Guardian. This isn’t Liu’s first gold at Milano... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3344109/meet-eccentric-us-figure-skater-alysa-liu-who-just-won-gold-2026-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3344109/meet-eccentric-us-figure-skater-alysa-liu-who-just-won-gold-2026-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:00:08 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Speed skater Ning Zhongyan broke the West’s 100-year Winter Olympics stranglehold on the men’s 1,500m event on Thursday and hoped his “unbelievable” performance was just the beginning of a Chinese surge in the sport. Ning dashed to gold in a Games record time of one minute, 41.98 seconds at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. American Jordan Stolz took silver, with defending champion Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands claiming bronze. It was the first time an athlete not representing the United States... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344089/ning-breaks-wests-grip-1500m-says-games-gold-just-start-china-speedskating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3344089/ning-breaks-wests-grip-1500m-says-games-gold-just-start-china-speedskating?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 05:23:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Eileen Gu is one of the biggest names at the Milano Cortina Olympics, as is obvious from how her answer to an AFP reporter’s question about her performance at the Winter Games has gone viral. China’s freeski superstar came to Italy as one of the few athletes whose name transcends winter sports. Gu, 22, was the darling of the Beijing Games on home soil four years ago, where she won two gold medals and a silver, making her the first freestyle skier to collect three medals at a single Winter... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343992/eileen-gus-exchange-reporter-over-medals-winter-olympics-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343992/eileen-gus-exchange-reporter-over-medals-winter-olympics-goes-viral?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:30:07 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Su Yiming said he had endured “many injuries and hard times” in the four years between his two Winter Olympic gold medals. The Chinese snowboard star won the men’s slopestyle event on Wednesday, adding gold to the big air bronze he claimed at the start of the Milano Cortina Games. It was a fine way for Su to celebrate his birthday, but as well as the tears of joy that accompanied the feat, the 22-year-old gave an honest assessment of the personal cost of being the world’s best. “I’ve been... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343995/chinas-golden-boy-su-yiming-dealing-injuries-xu-mengtao-looking-ahead-next-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343995/chinas-golden-boy-su-yiming-dealing-injuries-xu-mengtao-looking-ahead-next-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball China’s Su Yiming celebrated his 22nd birthday by grabbing Winter Olympics gold in the men’s snowboard slopestyle on Wednesday, upgrading the silver he won in Beijing four years ago and finally breaking his country’s duck in Italy. Little more than an hour later, Xu Mengtao ‌made it two golds for China, retaining her title in the ⁠women’s freestyle skiing ‌aerials. Danielle ‌Scott of Australia ‌took ‌the ‌silver ⁠and the bronze ⁠went to Xu’s ‌compatriot ‌Shao Qi. Su’s opening run score of 82.41... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343930/winter-olympics-snowboarder-su-yiming-wins-chinas-first-gold-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343930/winter-olympics-snowboarder-su-yiming-wins-chinas-first-gold-games?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:02:50 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport The wait for a Chinese gold medal at the Winter Olympics stretched into its 12th day on Tuesday, but at least the country’s speedskaters gave supporters something to cheer about. Bronze in the men’s team pursuit was the first time China has ever medalled in the event, with Liu Hanbin, Wu Yu and Li Wenhao edging out the Netherlands by just 0.09 seconds in the B Final. There was a shock in the race for gold too, with Italy stunning favourites America, the reigning world champions and world record... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343862/winter-olympics-chinas-men-claim-historic-team-pursuit-bronze-wait-gold-goes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343862/winter-olympics-chinas-men-claim-historic-team-pursuit-bronze-wait-gold-goes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 01:34:18 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Decorated Olympian Eileen Gu said she “doesn’t feel any pressure” to win the first gold medal for China at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Gu made the comment after winning silver at the freestyle skiing women’s big air event on Monday. The Chinese star has two silver medals in Italy, after also winning a slopestyle silver last week. The remark is an about-turn for Gu, who earlier said she felt as though she was skiing “with the weight of two countries on my shoulders” after being beaten to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343810/eileen-gu-doesnt-feel-any-pressure-win-chinas-first-gold-medal-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343810/eileen-gu-doesnt-feel-any-pressure-win-chinas-first-gold-medal-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Anastasia Kucherova, a Russian living in Milan, voiced her opposition to Russia’s war against Ukraine with a highly symbolic, if anonymous, act: carrying the Ukraine team placard during the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Winter Games. Kucherova was swathed in a long, hooded silver puffer coat, her eyes covered with dark glasses – like all the other placard bearers for the 92 nations competing in the Olympics. The Ukraine sign was illuminated for the crowd to read. At first the country... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343803/ukraines-olympic-sign-bearer-was-russian-risking-her-safety-silent-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343803/ukraines-olympic-sign-bearer-was-russian-risking-her-safety-silent-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 05:54:45 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Eileen Gu grabbed her second silver of the Winter Olympics and said she was “really proud”, despite failing to defend the freeski big air title she won in Beijing four years ago. The Chinese star had been among the favourites to win even though she had not competed in the discipline for several years, and seemed destined to do so after major rival Mathilde Gremaud withdrew through injury at the last minute. A major snowstorm also delayed proceedings by more than an hour, allowing Gu to recover... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343780/chinas-eileen-gu-really-proud-big-air-silver-after-inspired-oldham-wins-games-gold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343780/chinas-eileen-gu-really-proud-big-air-silver-after-inspired-oldham-wins-games-gold?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 23:41:14 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Eileen Gu qualified in second place for the big air final and then said Winter Olympics organisers were “punishing excellence” because doing so cuts down the amount of training time she has for her favoured halfpipe event. Gu, who won silver in slopestyle last week, is the only female freeskier signed up for all three disciplines – slopestyle, halfpipe and big air. She is the defending champion in the last two after winning gold in Beijing four years ago, where she also won silver in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343603/winter-olympics-eileen-gu-says-officials-punishing-excellence-after-reaching-big-air-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343603/winter-olympics-eileen-gu-says-officials-punishing-excellence-after-reaching-big-air-final?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:41:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Buddhist monk has drawn international attention after South Korea won landmark Olympic snowboard medals, capping decades of his support for young athletes in a sport long unpopular at home. Venerable Hosan, head monk of Bongsunsa Temple and himself a rider, launched a youth competition more than 20 years ago whose alumni bagged three Olympic snowboard medals this month in Italy – including South Korea’s first gold ever in the sport. All three medallists, Choi Ga-on, who won the women’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343575/south-korean-monk-who-showed-countrys-snowboarders-path-olympic-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343575/south-korean-monk-who-showed-countrys-snowboarders-path-olympic-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:30:12 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Hong Kong alpine skier Eloise King Yung-shih has settled into Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and said she is ready to make her Olympic debut in the women’s slalom – the first of what she hopes will be many appearances on the sport’s biggest stage. King, 21, first skied at the age of four in Japan during a family trip, and kept doing so once a year every year. When Eloise King was 13, her older cousin Audrey King began ski racing, and Eloise King was intrigued enough by her race to sign up for a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3343537/hong-kong-skier-eloise-king-intent-finding-rhythm-her-winter-olympics-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3343537/hong-kong-skier-eloise-king-intent-finding-rhythm-her-winter-olympics-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Sun Long rebounded from his earlier disappointment to claim Winter Olympics silver in the men’s 1,000m short-track speedskating on Thursday, earning China just its fourth medal of this year’s Milano Cortina Games. The 25-year-old’s silver, days after an error cost any hope of a medal in the mixed team relay, was the second for the delegation, following on from Eileen Gu’s in the freeski slopestyle event on Tuesday. Snowboarder Su Yiming was the first Chinese athlete to get on the board, but he... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343494/winter-olympics-china-fans-joke-wait-gold-medal-passing-parcel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343494/winter-olympics-china-fans-joke-wait-gold-medal-passing-parcel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:30:14 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse South Korea celebrated snowboarding sensation Choi Ga-on as a “miracle girl” and history-maker on Friday after soaring to the country’s first Olympic gold in the sport. The 17-year-old recovered from a horror crash to dethrone the United States’ two-time defending champion Chloe Kim in the halfpipe on Thursday in Italy. Choi is the first athlete from South Korea to win an Olympic gold medal in snow sports and it was also the nation’s first gold at the 2026 Winter Games. Multiple South Korean... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343447/south-korean-denies-chloe-kim-winter-olympics-three-peat-womens-half-pipe-gold-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343447/south-korean-denies-chloe-kim-winter-olympics-three-peat-womens-half-pipe-gold-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 07:09:06 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), the global governing body for winter sports, has apologised and deleted a social media comment that described Eileen Gu’s failure to win slopestyle gold at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics as “karma”. The remark appeared on FIS Park & Pipe, one of FIS’ official TikTok accounts, under a video about Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud winning the women’s freeski slopestyle title on Monday. In the comments section, a user wrote: “Not‑so‑fun fact:... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343359/winter-sports-world-body-apologises-after-karma-comment-eileen-gus-olympic-silver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343359/winter-sports-world-body-apologises-after-karma-comment-eileen-gus-olympic-silver?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukraine skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was kicked off the Winter Games on Thursday over his “helmet of remembrance” depicting athletes killed since Russia’s invasion despite a personal appeal from the International Olympic Committee head. The 27-year-old, who had been training in Italy with the helmet showing two dozen dead compatriots, was barred and stripped of his accreditation minutes before ‌competition was due to start at the sliding venue. “I am disqualified from the race. I will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343345/ukrainian-disqualified-winter-games-helmet-depicting-athletes-killed-russia-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343345/ukrainian-disqualified-winter-games-helmet-depicting-athletes-killed-russia-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 11:17:29 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar The 2026 Winter Olympics keep going viral for the wrong reasons. American athletes Breezy Johnson and Alysa Liu, who won gold in women’s downhill and figure skating respectively, broke their medals soon after clinching their big wins. Elsewhere, Czech ice dancers Kateřina Mrázková and Daniel Mrázek have been facing criticism for using an AI-generated track in their Olympic rhythm dance routine, per People magazine. There are also reports of a norovirus outbreak in the Olympic Village, notes CNN.... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3343292/meet-sturla-holm-laegreid-olympian-who-admitted-cheating-his-girlfriend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3343292/meet-sturla-holm-laegreid-olympian-who-admitted-cheating-his-girlfriend?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:15:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Dutch speed skater Joep Wennemars said his Olympic ⁠dream had been “ripped apart” ⁠after a collision with China’s Lian Ziwen ⁠led to a hurried re-skate that he believes cost him a medal in the men’s 1,000m at the Milano Cortina Games on Wednesday. Wennemars – the 2025 world champion in the 1,000m and son of former sprint world champion Erben Wennemars – tangled with Lian ‌during a lane change in the 11th of 15 pairs, leaving the 23-year-old Dutchman furious. Lian was subsequently disqualified,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343275/dutch-world-champ-says-games-dream-ripped-apart-after-collision-chinese-speed-skater?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343275/dutch-world-champ-says-games-dream-ripped-apart-after-collision-chinese-speed-skater?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 06:00:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Chinese snowboarder Liu Jiayu said from hospital on Thursday that she had avoided serious injury following a dramatic fall at the Winter Olympics in Italy and thanked fans for their concern. The 33-year-old, who won silver at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, crashed in half-pipe qualifying on Wednesday, sending her somersaulting into the snow before she slid to a halt. Officials raced towards Liu, who lay motionless on the ground and received lengthy medical treatment before being towed away on a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343268/chinas-liu-jiayu-avoids-serious-injury-after-half-pipe-crash-chloe-kim-leads-qualifiers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343268/chinas-liu-jiayu-avoids-serious-injury-after-half-pipe-crash-chloe-kim-leads-qualifiers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 04:50:56 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Eileen Gu is looking to defend her big air crown at the Winter Olympics this Sunday, but she will once again have to outdo the Swiss skier who denied her a gold medal for the second consecutive Games earlier this week. The Chinese freestyle skiing star finished second to Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland in the women’s slopestyle, a repeat of the result at the last Games. But both athletes were very positive after the event. “That was definitely the best slopestyle run I’ve ever done,” Gu... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343211/eileen-gu-has-winter-olympics-gold-sight-rival-mathilde-gremaud-stands-her-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343211/eileen-gu-has-winter-olympics-gold-sight-rival-mathilde-gremaud-stands-her-way?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 02:00:56 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Chinese snowboarder Liu Jiayu took a scary fall in Olympic half-pipe qualifying Wednesday and had to be carried off on a stretcher after coming down hard on her left arms and shoulder, then bending backward and somersaulting through the bottom of the pipe. There was no immediate word from the Chinese team on Liu’s status. The fall, which came after the 33-year-old Liu caught an edge while landing her final jump, stopped action on the half-pipe for about 10 minutes while medical personnel... https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3343215/chinese-snowboarder-liu-jiayu-taken-stretcher-after-scary-fall-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3343215/chinese-snowboarder-liu-jiayu-taken-stretcher-after-scary-fall-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:07:12 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Team USA freestyle skier Alex Hall – who took home the gold in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing for men’s freestyle skiing (slopestyle) – is not too bothered about defending his title at this year’s Milano Cortina Games. “It’s cool I got a medal four years ago, but I’m just here to ride. I’m not really thinking, ‘I’ve got to defend it.’ There’s nothing really to defend. I’m just going out to ski and have some fun,” Hall said at a press conference ahead of the competition. Here’s what to know... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3343182/meet-alex-hall-freestyle-skiings-2022-olympic-champion-competing-milano-cortina-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3343182/meet-alex-hall-freestyle-skiings-2022-olympic-champion-competing-milano-cortina-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Singaporean Faiz Basha is the first competitor to represent his country in a snow sport at the Olympic Winter Games and his road to the frozen ‌slopes from his tropical nation included unconventional training on in-line skates. Basha moved at the age of three ‍to Switzerland, where his parents worked as diplomats, and learned to ski from his Singaporean mother, who fell for the sport with her new proximity to the Alps. “We were learning about things as we go along because we don’t have the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343157/singaporean-winter-olympics-athlete-trained-line-skates-ahead-giant-slalom-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3343157/singaporean-winter-olympics-athlete-trained-line-skates-ahead-giant-slalom-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 05:32:39 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Team China delivered their best-ever Winter Olympics performance at the last Winter Games in Beijing with nine golds, four silvers and two bronzes, and have sent 124 athletes to Milano Cortina to try to emulate that feat. Among the Chinese representatives are several veterans who will make their fifth Olympic appearance. Four of these are skiers, and foremost among them is Xu Mengtao, the most successful woman in freestyle aerials history, with the highest number of world championships and World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343089/chinese-star-xu-grateful-be-winter-games-sui-han-hope-shine-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3343089/chinese-star-xu-grateful-be-winter-games-sui-han-hope-shine-everyone?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:29:02 +0000 Ishani Sarkar Ishani Sarkar The United States won its first gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics when ski racer Breezy Johnson claimed the honour at the women’s downhill, though she later broke her medal while jumping for joy. “People are jealous of people with Olympic gold medals. They’re not necessarily jealous of the journey it took to get those medals,” the 30-year-old athlete said, per AP. “I don’t think my journey is something that many people are envious of, and it’s been a tough road, but sometimes you just have... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3343062/meet-breezy-johnson-lgbtq-athlete-who-won-us-first-gold-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3343062/meet-breezy-johnson-lgbtq-athlete-who-won-us-first-gold-winter-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:00:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US ski star Lindsey Vonn said on Monday she had suffered a “complex tibia fracture” when she crashed in the Winter Olympics downhill and would need “multiple surgeries”. In her first statement since the crash on Sunday in Cortina d’Ampezzo that brutally ended her Olympic comeback, Vonn said: “While yesterday [Sunday] did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets.” The 41-year-old insisted that the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament she had... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3342997/vonn-says-she-suffered-complex-tibia-fracture-olympics-did-not-finish-way-i-dreamt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3342997/vonn-says-she-suffered-complex-tibia-fracture-olympics-did-not-finish-way-i-dreamt?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 03:30:18 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Eileen Gu believes she is skiing better than ever and will approach her next two events at the Winter Olympics with “a real sense of confidence”, despite missing out on slopestyle gold on Monday. The Chinese skier was narrowly beaten by Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud for the second Games running, while Canada’s Megan Oldham took bronze in the Italian Alps. Gremaud’s medal chest also includes a silver in slopestyle from the 2018 Games and a bronze in big air from 2022. Gu, meanwhile, has the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3342972/chinas-eileen-gu-says-shes-skiing-better-ever-ahead-winter-olympic-golds-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3342972/chinas-eileen-gu-says-shes-skiing-better-ever-ahead-winter-olympic-golds-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:00:13 +0000