The 2026 Winter Olympics delegation returns to Taiwan Minister Lee Yang hosts a banquet to show appreciation
The 25th Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games came to a successful conclusion. Taiwan sent eight athletes to compete in five sports: cross-country skiing, alpine skiing, speed skating, figure skating, and bobsleigh. All athletes successfully completed their events. The Ministry of Sports (the MOS) held a welcome-back banquet on March 2, personally attended by Minister of Sports Lee Yang, who expressed high praise and gratitude to the athletes, coaches, and support staff.
Minister Lee said that the development of winter sports is a long-term effort. Given Taiwan’s subtropical climate and limited winter sports venues, athletes must train abroad for extended periods and adapt to different environments, which is very demanding. He thanked the athletes, coaches, and support staff for their efforts, which allowed Taiwan to be seen on the Winter Olympic stage. This year’s Winter Olympics also generated intense discussion on social media, allowing more young people to see that Taiwanese athletes can compete on the global ice and snow stage.
At this edition of the Games, Taiwanese athletes delivered steady performances with several breakthroughs. In the women’s 500-meter speed skating, Chen Ying-Chu finished 11th with a time of 37.914 seconds, setting a new national Winter Olympic record for the event and demonstrating the results of continued improvement after switching disciplines. In cross-country skiing, Sophia Tsu Velicer (Yu Rui) placed 22nd in the women’s 50 km mass start classic event, achieving the best result among the three Asian athletes who completed the race, showing impressive endurance and determination. In men’s single figure skating, athlete Li Yu-Hsiang became the first Taiwanese skater in nearly 28 years to advance and successfully completed the event, symbolizing Taiwan’s return to the Winter Olympic competitive stage in figure skating and opening new possibilities for future athlete development.
In bobsleigh, this was the first time Taiwan qualified for the Winter Olympics in the sport. Athlete Lin Sin-Rong competed in both the women’s monobob and 2- women’s bobsleigh events, partnering with Lin Song-En. Facing strong international competitors, they delivered steady performances, marking an important milestone for Taiwan’s bobsleigh development. In cross-country and alpine skiing, despite weather-affected venues, our athletes prepared thoroughly to familiarize themselves with the courses. During competition, they remained composed, adjusted their strategies to changing conditions, and successfully completed their events, demonstrating improved resilience and technical ability.
The MOS noted that the overall performance of Taiwan’s athletes at this Winter Olympics was steady and reflected the accumulated results of winter sports development. It also thanked the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and various sport associations for their comprehensive efforts in terms of delegation organization, administration, and logistical support, allowing athletes to focus fully on preparation and competition. In the future, the MOS will continue to improve the allocation of training resources and support systems, with the goal of enabling athletes to achieve further breakthroughs in international competitions and deliver even stronger results for Taiwan’s winter sports.