Among approximately 3,000 athletes attending the Beijing Winter Olympics are those who are on a delegation of just one or two athletes; at the opening ceremony, they are often accompanied only by ushers and volunteers; in sport arenas, they may not be at the top of the list... They represent the dreams of ice and snow and the expectations of people in tropical and sub-tropical regions for the grand winter games. Their presence not only enriches the worldwide landscape of sports on ice and snow, but also interprets the Olympic motto of Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together. The Beijing Winter Olympics is all the more exciting because of their participation.
Mohd Khan from India: Postponing Wedding for Beijing Winter Olympics
Arif Mohd Khan, the Indian alpine skier with a bushy beard and the only member of the Indian delegation, says he is lucky and determined to compete at his best.
Mohd Khan is 31 years old. As the son of a ski guide, he was introduced into the sport at an early age and later attended ski school in Austria. Born gifted, he began to participate in various competitions. At the age of 12, he won excellent prizes in the youth competitions in India and began to emerge.
Mohd Khan grew up in the mountains of northern India, which is white with snow in winter. The unique natural environment created favorable conditions for him to carry out training. In 2005, Mohd Khan began winning national competitions in India. By 2008, I started to consider going to the Winter Olympics. Mohd Khan says.
Mohd Khan is also gearing up to fulfill his dream of ice and snow on the stage of the Beijing Winter Olympics. He had originally planned to get married in September 2021, but postponed his wedding plan in order to have better training.
In November 2021, after a FIS Men's Slalom, Mohd khan obtained the qualification for the Beijing Winter Olympics and his excitement was palpable, It is really exciting to be the first athlete from India to get the Beijing Winter Olympics qualification. This is a great encouragement for India's winter sports and Indian youths.
On January 29 this year, Mohd Khan came to Beijing and carried India's national flag at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at the National Stadium. Mohd Khan will shoot for his goal with the blessing of his hometown people.
Mialitiana Clerc from Madagascar: DesigningHer Own Winter Olympics Clothing for Competition
Madagascar, an island country in Africa, is renowned for its rich biodiversity. Born in Tananarive, the capital of Madagascar, Mialitiana Clerc showed her artistic talent in singing, dancing, and painting since childhood. Now as a fashion designer, she has designed her own uniform for the Beijing Winter Olympics. On Feb. 7, she wore it at the Women's Alpine Skiing Giant Slalom.
Clerc is the first female athlete from Madagascar to compete in the Winter Olympics. Since she started skiing at the age of three, the growing number of friends she made on the slopes and the feeling of racing down the mountain have completely ignited her passion for the sport. The white snow became her canvas, on which she can demonstrate her best play.
By the age of 10, Clerc had already become a skilled skier. Soon after, she joined a more professional ski club and began competing around the world. With the continuous improvement of her skills, the dream of the Winter Olympics began to sprout in her heart, The Winter Olympics has always been a dream that I pursue. I want to compete in the Winter Olympic Games!
Thanks to her own hard work and the help of her family, Clerc made it to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. After four years of training, she has a new goal in the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Compared with four years ago, I have more experience and a more mature mentality, Clerc says, In Beijing I want to rank within the top 40, and to be one of the best skiers in the world!
Clerc's aspiring spirit has inspired more people. Under her influence, Mathieu Neumuller, an 18-year-old Madagascar alpine skier, will make his Winter Olympics debut in Beijing. I hope my experience can inspire more African people, Clerc says.
Yohan Goutt from East Timor: Organizing National Association for the Winter Olympic Dream
The Beijing Winter Olympics is the third Olympic trip for 27-year-old East Timorese alpine skier Yohan Goutt. In addition to preparing for the Games, he has to deal with the affairs of the East Timor Ski Association. This national association, which he had created before the Sochi Winter Olympics, was the starting point for his Olympic dream.
Goutt was born to a French father and a East Timorese mother. I want to compete for East Timor in the Winter Olympics! the young Goutt spoke out his ambition at the age of eight.
However, as Goutt developed the skills to compete in the Winter Olympics, he was faced with another problem. The average temperature of East Timor is around 28 degrees Celsius all year round and there was no national ski association at that time, which means Goutt could not earn the points to qualify for the Winter Olympics by competing in official FIS events.
With the help of his family and the East Timor Olympic Committee, Goutt founded the East Timor Ski Association and eventually realized his Winter Olympics dream for the first time at the 2014 Sochi Games.
Unsatisfied with his “exclusive rights”, Goutt, along with the East Timor Ski Association, reaches out to athletes in whose countries skiing is yet to be popularized. He has helped many alpine skiers such as Benjamin Alexander from Jamaica and Carlos Maeder from Ghana.
As Saudi Arabia and Haiti for the first time sent delegations to the Beijing Winter Olympics, the big family is expanding, and the global ice and snow sports are bursting into full blooms.
Translator：Zhang Yujie
Proofreader: Hao Xianfeng Ma Jianli Liu Ying
Editor:Cao Yangqianqian
Advisor:Zhang XU
