MILAN, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Italy's short track speed skating coach Qi Mengyao is expected to help the host nation win medals at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
"It will be my first Olympic Games, and I am looking forward to it," the Chinese, who took charge of the Italian team in 2023, told Xinhua on Monday. "We have performed well at the World Cups, earned full Olympic quotas for the first time and followed our training plans. Hopefully we can win medals, even golds, at these Games."
Qi expects the short track competitions to be fierce but is confident the Italians will be medal contenders. "These Games will be very competitive. South Korea, Canada, the Netherlands and China are very strong teams," she said. "We have been improving consistently and are now one of the stronger teams. With so many strong competitors, even the semifinals can be really tough, and they should be treated like finals. Once we make the final, anything can happen."
Featuring star skaters Arianna Fontana and Pietro Sighel, the Italian team is tipped as a strong contender, especially in the men's and mixed relay events.
Having grown as an athlete in China and developed as a coach in Canada, Qi says her coaching style blends Eastern and Western approaches.
"Maybe I am stricter than Western coaches, but softer than Eastern ones," she said with a smile. "I am serious and focused on my work. I want to help my team as best as I can."
While Qi is fine-tuning her skaters for the Winter Olympics in Milan, her parents are taking care of her children in Bormio, about 200 kilometers from Milan, and her husband is working in Canada. In two weeks, the family will reunite at the Olympic venue during the Chinese Spring Festival, a celebration of togetherness.
"My husband, parents and kids will come to watch our relay competitions. They will cheer for Italy," said Qi.
