by sportswriter He Leijing
MILAN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- With the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics reaching its halfway mark, athletes across four clusters of venues have delivered a grand winter spectacle for the world.
Records have fallen, veterans have endured, prodigies have arrived, and the Olympic spirit has revealed itself as vividly beyond the podium as upon it.
CHINA'S PUSH
China has sent a 286-member delegation to Milan-Cortina, its largest Winter Olympic team ever to compete overseas, reflecting the country's ambition and confidence forged since Beijing hosted the Games four years ago.
On the snow and ice, China has claimed two silver and two bronze medals so far. Yet more meaningful than the podium finishes has been the relentless pursuit of self-transcendence.
In short track speed skating, speed skating, freestyle skiing and snowboarding, China has remained competitive, while also registering tangible breakthroughs in previously less familiar disciplines including ski jumping, bobsleigh and luge.
Snowboarder Su Yiming opened China's medal tally with bronze in the men's big air, completing a full set of Olympic medal colors in his young but already storied career.
Freestyle skiing star Gu Ailing rebounded from an early stumble in qualifying to take silver in women's slopestyle, and advanced to the big air final despite limited competition experience in the event since Beijing 2022.
In short track, China endured disappointment in the mixed team relay before Sun Long shook off earlier errors to secure silver in the men's 1,000 meters, a personal Olympic breakthrough. Speed skater Ning Zhongyan made history by winning China's first-ever Olympic medal in the men's 1,000 meters.
Beyond the podium, Chinese athletes have raced against their own limits, repeatedly setting national and Olympic bests in events ranging from the men's 5,000-meter speed skating to ski jumping and women's singles luge.
Comprehensive growth and a renewed belief in pushing beyond past ceilings are becoming defining traits of China's winter sports generation.
STARDOM
The medal table shows Norway leading with 10 golds, powered by dominance in cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined. Host nation Italy sits second with six golds, flourishing across speed skating, luge and alpine skiing. The United States has displayed balance, ranking third with five golds, eight silvers and four bronzes.
But numbers alone can hardly capture contests ignited by speed, precision and resolve.
The Winter Olympics are, above all, a constellation of stars. American speed skating sensation Jordan Stolz underlined his supremacy by breaking Olympic records en route to gold in both the men's 1,000 meters and 500 meters.
Italian crowds were twice electrified as veteran skater Francesca Lollobrigida claimed gold on home ice in the women's 3,000 and 5,000 meters, a double that blended experience with endurance.
Teenage debutant Metodej Jilek of the Czech Republic announced himself on the biggest stage by winning gold in the men's speed skating 10,000 meters, days after claiming silver in the 5,000m in a breakout Games for the 19-year-old.
On the slopes of Livigno, 45-year-old Roland Fischnaller embarked on his seventh Olympic journey, sharing the moment with his friend Benjamin Karl, 40, who claimed gold in the men's parallel giant slalom.
In the women's snowboard halfpipe, 17-year-old Choi Ga-on authored one of the defining moments. After two heavy falls, she returned on an injured leg to complete a final run that stunningly denied American star Chloe Kim a historic three-peat and delivered South Korea its first gold of the Games.
Norway's cross-country icon Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has already secured three golds, lifting his Olympic total to eight and placing him among the most decorated winter athletes in history. Australia's Jakara Anthony, meanwhile, rebounded from disappointment in singles moguls to make history by winning gold in the Olympic debut of women's dual moguls.
Drama extended to the margins of measurement. In the men's moguls final, Australia's Cooper Woods and Canadian legend Mikael Kingsbury finished level on points, with Woods taking gold by the narrowest edge in turn score, a reminder that in Olympic competition, mastery often lives within millimeters.
HEARTFELT MOMENTS
At the Olympics, medals are never the whole story. Tears and laughter often resonate longer than records.
American alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn saw her comeback end in heartbreak when she crashed just 13 seconds into the women's downhill and was airlifted to the hospital with a leg fracture. The 41-year-old 2010 Winter Olympic champion had suffered an ACL tear only weeks earlier.
In a video update, Vonn thanked supporters for their messages and flowers, saying she was beginning to feel like herself again, though the road to recovery remains long.
Tragedy struck deeper with the death of Norwegian biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken ahead of the Games. Upon arriving in Italy, his team chose to stay at the hotel where he passed away, confronting grief head-on. With psychological support, they vowed to honor his memory through their performances.
Yet warmth and joy have shone through. American alpine skier Breezy Johnson experienced a fairytale moment when she accepted a marriage proposal moments after finishing the women's super-G, a scene that quickly swept social media and drew congratulations from pop superstar Taylor Swift.
Family bonds added further inspiration. Sweden's sibling duo Isabella and Rasmus Wranaa captured the nation's first Olympic gold in mixed doubles curling. Slovenia successfully defended its ski jumping mixed team title with brother and sister Nika and Domen Prevc becoming the first sibling champions in Olympic ski jumping history.
History was also written in Alpine skiing, where Mexico's Sarah Schleper competed alongside her 18-year-old son Lasse Gaxiola, marking the first mother-and-son duo to race at the same Winter Olympics.
As the second half of the Milan-Cortina Games unfolds, Chinese athletes will continue their all-out push for breakthroughs in short track speed skating, speed skating and freestyle skiing. More medals will be decided, but so too will more moments that transcend victory and defeat, reminding the world why the Olympic story endures. ■
