Yang Yang looks ahead to Milano-Cortina 2026 in new role with World Anti-Doping Agency

Yang Yang, China’s first Winter Olympic champion and now a vice president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), shared her expectations for next year’s Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).

The short track speed skating legend also reflected on the role today’s athletes play as role models and said returning to Italy in her new capacity is especially meaningful, as she competed in her final Games at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.

"Because it was my last game in 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games it is very special for me to go back to Italy to have the Olympics with a different role, no more as athlete, but still very lucky to be involved. WADA, we are going to have an independent observe team there to look over all the anti-doping programs, try our best to reach out to all the athletes and give them a better understanding with (of) anti-doping, which is very important nowadays. And clean sports, everybody -- that's what we want. That's our mission and our goal," said Yang.

The WADA vice president expressed hope that the Milano–Cortina Games will set new records for participation and audience size, driven by the reach of social media and modern technology.

"Nowadays, with the social media, with all the technology, hopefully these games will create another history in terms of numbers of participation, numbers of audience," she said.

The 49-year-old former athlete also emphasized the importance of role models in encouraging young people to take up winter sports and shaping the sport’s future.

"I think role models (are) always very important for promoting sports, especially with the young, with the kids, to participate in the winter sports, which is for the future. And these games, I'm sure we're going to have new stars, and the stars will inspire more people. Based on that, we also have the facilities, which is a legacy from the 2022 Winter Olympics. Those are very important for the fans -- when they are motivated by the stars, then they can experience (it) by themselves," she said.

Yang Yang looks ahead to Milano-Cortina 2026 in new role with World Anti-Doping Agency

A winter storm is expected to bring snow, strong winds, and rainfall to the Midwest and Northeast parts of the United States over the coming days, affecting more than 40 million people, according to U.S. media reports on Sunday.

As of midday Sunday, the storm had already disrupted air travel nationwide, with more than 3,500 flights delayed and over 400 canceled.

The heaviest snowfall is expected in the Midwest. Blizzard warnings have been issued across North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and parts of Michigan. In some areas of Michigan, snowfall totals could reach as much as 61 centimeters. Cities including Minneapolis and Green Bay are bracing for heavy snow, while parts of the region from North Dakota through Minnesota and Iowa are seeing near-zero visibility, conditions that may persist into Monday morning.

Meanwhile, areas stretching from Pennsylvania to Maine are expected to experience freezing rain and strong winds, raising the risk of icy roads and hazardous travel conditions.

In Michigan, snowfall and winds are forecast to continue through Monday morning before gradually changing to rain, a transition also expected across parts of the Northeast. While the storm is projected to move out by Monday night, additional snowfall could return to the Great Lakes region and last through Wednesday.

Winter storm hits multiple US states