Spain prepares athletes for Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

Spain, a country not typically known for winter sports in Europe, is actively and systematically ramping up its preparations as the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics approaches.

The southern European nation will send about 20 athletes to compete in disciplines such as alpine skiing, snowboarding, and figure skating.

The country is developing a comprehensive talent pipeline through a tiered training system that integrates "club-region-national teams," facilitating a progression from early youth engagement to professional training and competitive selection.

A prime example of the training framework is 15-year-old skier Alejandro, who shared his experience at the Sierra Nevada ski resort in Granada, Spain.

"My parents brought me here when I was about two years old, and then I began training with a private coach on weekends. My parents recognized my passion for the sport, and at four, they enrolled me in a club. I've been competing ever since. My goal is to participate in the World Cup with the national team one day," Alejandro said.

While strengthening its youth training system, Spain is closely observing global trends in winter sports, especially China's remarkable progress during the Beijing Winter Olympics.

By focusing on strategic planning, leveraging technological support, and developing a robust training system, Spain and other non-traditional winter sports nations are adopting effective models of talent development.

"China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in sports over the past few years. It has aligned investment and intelligence in the planning of international events and made breakthroughs during the Olympics. Additionally, China has worked hard to create a program that allows any athlete to reach that level," said Olmo Hernan, the general director of the Royal Spanish Winter Sports Federation (RFEDI).

The 2026 Olympic Winter Games will open on February 6 at Milan's San Siro Olympic Stadium, with around 2,900 athletes expected to take part. It will be Italy's first Winter Olympics in 20 years since Turin 2006, and 70 years after Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the 1956 edition.

Chinese stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.18 percent to 4,139.9 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.09 percent higher at 14,329.91 points.

The combined turnover of these two indices totaled over 2.89 trillion yuan (about 414.4 billion U.S. dollars), down from 3.25 trillion yuan on the previous trading day.

Stocks related to precious metals and semiconductors led the gains, while shares in the breeding as well as coal mining and processing sectors suffered major losses.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.71 percent to close at 3,342.6 points.

The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 1.72 percent higher at 1,889.46 points.