Legend Yang says 'focus on the moment, not the result'

With Milano-Cortina 2026 fast approaching, China's first-ever Winter Olympic gold medalist has just one simple message to the current generation of Olympians that are busy tuning up for the tall task ahead.

"No matter how challenging it is, just focus on what you can control and do your best. That makes you a champion already," retired short-track skating legend Yang Yang offered as advice to the athletes during a recent event unveiling the Li-Ning-manufactured award ceremony attire for the Chinese delegation at the 2026 Games.

"Especially those veterans who've come back to compete, overcoming physical challenges to make their way back to the Olympic stage, they are already heroes in my heart," said Yang, who's racked up 59 world titles throughout a 23-year athletic career to become China's most decorated winter sports athlete.

Yang's career culminated on the Olympic track in 2002, when she won China's first and second Winter Olympic gold medals in women's 500m and 1,000m at the Salt Lake City Games in Utah, paving the way for the country's future generations to collect 20 more gold medals across the following five editions of the Olympics, including Beijing 2022.

The Heilongjiang province native has embraced multiple administrative roles since retiring from the sport in 2006, from an IOC member to the chair of Beijing 2022 athletes' commission, and now serves as the vice-president of the World Anti-Doping Agency, about to begin her third and final three-year term in the post.

Having almost seen it and done it all at the highest level, as both an athlete and an organizer, Yang said the key for delivering under pressure on the Olympic stage is to enjoy the moment without getting carried away by focusing too much on the result.

It was a lesson she herself learned the hard way, after struggling to cope with the nerves and high expectations in her debut at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, where she was disqualified for rule violations in two of her three individual races.

"From an athlete's perspective, I think it's better not to focus entirely on the final outcome," said Yang, who established the China Champion Foundation in 2011 to support the education and career development of retired athletes.

"Of course there will be intense media attention and discussions about the results, but we should try and create a less-stressful environment to protect our athletes."

Looking ahead to Milan, Yang said she would pay more attention on the veterans on Team China and, of course, her own discipline — short-track.

"The unremitting love for their sports, and their inspiring stories of fighting against physical challenges, will absolutely be the highlights at the Games," Yang said of China's senior Olympians.

After witnessing the short-track team get the delegation off to a flying start at Beijing 2022 by winning the mixed 2,000 relay, Yang said she has confidence that the squad can stand tall again for the country in Milan.