MILAN – From China to Piedmont, Italy.
The Chinese Ski Association has selected the Oasi Zegna Ski Racing Center as its training base until Jan. 19 in preparation of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games.
Dedicated to competitive alpine skiing, the sport center is located in Bielmonte, within the Oasi Zegna in the Biella Alps.
“We are proud that an ambitious national team has chosen Oasi Zegna Ski Racing Center for its preparation program,” said Gildo Zegna, chairman of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group. “This presence, together with our role as an official training center for [Federazione Italiana Sport Invernali] FISI, confirms the quality of the work carried out and the vision behind this project: to offer athletes the best possible conditions while enhancing the territory and the values of sport.”
The executive has spearheaded the Oasi Zegna Ski Racing Center, which stems from his lifelong passion.
The arrival of the Chinese team, which includes 14 members and is led by alpine skiing director Angela Li and head coach Adriano Iliffe, signals the prestige and reliability of the center, and a strengthened positioning on the international skiing scene.
The center offers slopes certified by FIS, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation; facilities dedicated to athletic preparation, and an organizational structure specifically designed to meet the needs of national teams. The Oasi Zegna Ski Racing Center in the fall of 2024 inked an agreement with the FISI, the Italian Winter Sports Federation.
Under the deal, the ski center created in Bielmonte, located at 1,500 meters above sea level and 20 minutes away from Trivero where the Ermenegildo Zegna Group is based, became a new official training site for the FISI teams.
At the time, Gildo Zegna expressed his pride in the agreement, “which is part of the ongoing effort to bring the world’s best professional skiers to Bielmonte.”
Italy, especially the cities of Milan and Cortina, is gearing up for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will run Feb. 6 to 22, while the Paralympics will run March 6 to 15.
The Zegna family owns the Hotel Bucaneve in Bielmonte, a 90-minute drive from Milan, and part of the Oasi Zegna, which was created starting in the late 1920s by Zegna’s grandfather, Ermenegildo Zegna, founder of the namesake luxury group, who planted half a million pine trees and created Route 232 connecting the two sides of the mountain and made them accessible for all. It offers stunning views of the Alps, from the Monviso pyramid-shaped mountain to the Monte Rosa massif, and overlooks the river Po Valley.
Zegna is also freshing up the La Pineta hotel, designed by architect Renato Boffa Ballaran in 1962. It is being renovated by ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, a studio that has designed the Milan headquarters of the Zegna group.
The Oasi Zegna is a territory spanning more than 62 miles and its colors and mood are also a source of inspiration for artistic director Alessandro Sartori, who has been developing the sustainable Oasi Cashmere and staged some shows there.
Sponsors of the ski racing center range from Intesa Sanpaolo through the IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division; leading ski equipment brand Nordica, part of the Tecnica Group; eyewear company Marcolin, and professional service firm Mercer.
