Hong Kong’s largest Winter Olympics delegation set for Milano Cortina 2026

With the countdown to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics underway, Hong Kong is finalizing preparations for its largest-ever Winter Games delegation, a 13-member team.

The Hong Kong SAR flag was officially presented to the delegation at a ceremony on Monday by Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui and the Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong, Carmelo Ficarra.

Notable attendees included Edgar Yang Joe-tsi, honorary secretary-general of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), and the delegation’s Chef de Mission, Wong Po-kee, who also serves as SF&OC honorary deputy secretary-general.

Speaking at the event, Law said she was proud that Hong Kong will take part in the Winter Games for the seventh consecutive time.

“The delegation features both seasoned athletes and new hopefuls,” she said, naming short track speed skaters Darren Kwok Tsz-fung and 19-year-old debutant Joey Lam Ching-yan, as well as alpine skiers Adrian Yung Hau-tseun and Eloise King Yung-shih.

Law encouraged the team to “strive hard, push their limits, and bravely pursue their Olympic dreams.”

She also highlighted the government’s continued support for elite athletes, announcing that more than HK$1 billion has been allocated to the Hong Kong Sports Institute from the Elite Athletes Development Fund for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

“The flag represents the genuine hopes and dreams of our athletes, and the expectations and blessings of our citizens,” she added.

Echoing the sentiment, Yang said the growth of winter sports in Hong Kong is closely linked to the SF&OC’s alignment with the national initiative to “engage 300 million people in winter sports.”

“Notably, the excellent performances of Hong Kong teams in events like ice hockey and curling at the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games changed the perception of our ‘snowless city’ in winter sports,” Yang said.

He expressed hope that athletes would seize the opportunity to compete with world-class opponents and broaden their horizons.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games will be held from February 6 to 22, featuring 16 sports and around 2,900 athletes from more than 90 nations and regions.