A 14-DAY visit to Beijing has left Italian Mattia Gaspari beautiful memories. Recalling the days in Beijing after returning to Italy, the skeleton Olympian told Xinhua that he had raced on the most magnificent track he has ever seen. To Gaspari, the Winter Olympics means a special bond since northern Italy’s Cortina d’Ampezzo, his hometown, will co-host the next edition of the event with Milan in 2026. Looking ahead, he said the 2026 games should be hosted in a way like what had happened in Beijing, where people from different countries and regions learned from each other and collaborated. “Italy and China have a close relationship, which I think is really important, and we should path a way where we can more easily cooperate and exchange information and ideas,” Gaspari told Xinhua. “I went to China for the first time last October to try the Olympic track. I saw the Great Wall of China and it was almost a tourist experience,” said the first-time Olympian, who was among 119 athletes dispatched by Italy to compete in 14 disciplines. “The second time was even more beautiful because we entered the Winter Olympics with everything focusing on the games. And you could feel the Olympic spirit because there are so many athletes from different nations and of different disciplines,” said Gaspari. Gaspari raced in China’s National Sliding Centre, a venue that also hosted bobsleigh and luge events. Built in the mountains in Yanqing, a suburban district in Beijing, the track has 16 curves with different angles and slopes. “We have never seen a track like this. It was a track as big as a structure and the scene was beautiful to see when I stepped onto the top of the track,” Gaspari recalled. Cortina d’Ampezzo, a well-known destination for ski-lovers, boasts a tradition of winter sports with some 115km of pistes and snow coverage of over 95 percent from December to April. It hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956 and will take the torch from Beijing to jointly host the 2026 edition with Milan.(Xinhua) | 