SU CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Defending champion Su Yiming led Chinese snowboarders onto the Olympic big air course in Livigno, Italy, on Monday, as the venue staged its first official training session ahead of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.

Su said the opening session was mainly about adaptation rather than pushing limits.

"The venue feels quite comfortable overall and has some similarities with the big air course in Beijing," the 21-year-old said."There are differences in slope angle and speed, though, so it takes time to adjust."

Su added that travel fatigue and jet lag had also influenced his approach on the first day.

"I didn't try many high difficulty tricks today," he said. "The focus was on adapting my movements and following the preparation plan step by step, with more training sessions still ahead."

Su has enjoyed a strong start to the Olympic season, claiming back-to-back men's snowboard big air titles at FIS World Cup events in Chongli and Beijing in November, and said he is entering his second Olympic appearance with a calm and focused approach.

"I'm not putting extra pressure on myself," Su said. "Right now, I'm focused on doing what I need to do, paying attention to every detail and enjoying the competition itself. I want to fully embrace this second Olympic experience, while performing at the level I should be."

Su's compatriot Ge Chunyu, who is making his Olympic debut, said the opening session was mainly about getting used to the course.

"There's no need to get overly excited," Ge said.

"The most important thing is to stay composed and focus on what I need to do."

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season, earning his first FIS World Cup podium in men's snowboard big air in Chongli, where he ranked second behind teammate Su, completing a historic one-two finish for China.

The men's snowboard big air will be among the first medal events staged at the Livigno venue, with qualification scheduled for Thursday, and the final taking place two days later.

The event represents a key early medal opportunity for China.

Competitions at Milano-Cortina will be spread across several major clusters, including Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Valtellina and Val di Fiemme.

Located in northern Italy's Lombardy region near the Swiss border, Livigno sits at an altitude of over 1,800 meters and forms part of the Valtellina cluster, serving as a core venue for freestyle skiing and snowboarding events.

While the big air course has become the first venue in Livigno to open for official training, reporters observed that other competition sites, including those for halfpipe, slopestyle and aerials, remain unfinished.

Getting up to speed

China's Dutch coach Johan de Wit has expressed confidence in speed skaters Han Mei and Ning Zhongyan after the duo's first training session on the Olympic ice on Monday.

"I'm 100 percent satisfied with the work of both skaters," said De Wit. "We've developed to a stable spot among the world's top skaters, and I'm really happy with the results. I really hope they will skate their best races ever here at the Olympics."

Invited by Japanese Olympic gold medalist Miho Takagi, in 2023, Han and Ning joined an international training group being guided by De Wit in order to prepare for these Games.

Two-time Olympian Ning finished third overall in the men's 1,500m World Cup standings this season, entering Milano-Cortina 2026 as a serious medal contender.

De Wit noted significant progress in Ning's performance over the past three years, highlighting his growing consistency.

"Ning sometimes skated fast in the past, but most of the time he didn't end up on the podium," De Wit said.

"Now he is on the podium (in almost) every competition. His stability is much higher. He is faster than ever before."

The coach shared a similar sentiment regarding Han, noting that her level has "improved a lot", as well.

Han trained alongside Takagi on Monday, with a hallmark of De Wit's program being the collaboration between Chinese and Japanese skaters, a rarity in a sport often defined by fierce rivalries.

"There is no rivalry," De Wit said. "We are a team, and they help each other get better. If you put top-level athletes together, their mentality is different. They only learn from each other and give each other positive energy."

The speed skating competition is scheduled to begin on Feb 7 at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Though the facility is temporary, De Wit spoke highly of the venue and its skating surface.

"The ice is pretty good," he said, noting that the Junior World Cup, an Olympic trial held at the venue last November, was pretty fast. "I think it is possible to skate fast here, though world records may not be possible."

American Jordan Stolz and Dutch skater Femke Kok have dominated the recent World Cup circuits, but De Wit said he is urging his skaters to ignore the resumes of their opponents.

"Kok and Stolz are incredible skaters, and, if they skate well here, they will probably win. But, we will also try to skate really fast, and they have to beat us," said De Wit, who declined to set specific medal targets for Han and Ning.

"I don't mind. We are only focusing on ourselves, and not on the others."

Xinhua