13 African Athletes Compete in 2026 Winter Olympics
Eight African nations are sending 13 athletes to the Winter Olympics in Italy this week, continuing a pioneering tradition that started in 1960. Benin and Guinea-Bissau are making their debut while Madagascar's Mialitiana Clerc becomes the first African woman to compete in three Winter Games.
When the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony lights up the Italian Alps on Friday, 13 athletes from eight African nations will be there to chase history.
Africa's Winter Olympics journey began 66 years ago when South Africa first competed in 1960. Since then, 15 African countries have sent athletes to prove that winter sports aren't just for snowy nations.
This year's delegation includes alpine skiers, cross-country skiers, freestyle skiers, and skeleton racers from Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Eritrea, Madagascar, Morocco, Kenya, and South Africa. Two countries are making their very first appearance: Benin with Nathan Tchibozo and Guinea-Bissau with Winston Tang.
South Africa leads the group with five athletes, up from just two in the 1990s. The continent has grown from sending single pioneering athletes to building real winter sports programs.
Why This Inspires
Madagascar's Mialitiana Clerc will make history this week as the first African woman to compete in three Winter Olympics. Adopted as a baby and raised in the French Alps, she competed at just 16 in 2018 and says she feels lucky to represent African women in skiing.
Kenya's Philip Boit created one of the Games' most memorable moments in 1998. After finishing last in the 10km cross-country race in Nagano, he was met at the finish line by winner Bjorn Daehlie, the world champion who waited to personally congratulate him.
Senegalese skier Lamine Gueye blazed the trail in 1984 as the first sub-Saharan African skier at the Winter Games. He discovered skiing at boarding school in Switzerland and fell in love instantly, later founding the Senegalese Ski Federation and competing in three Olympics, five World Championships, and 25 World Cups.
Today, Gueye works to ensure more African athletes get their chance at Winter Olympics glory. While Africa is still waiting for its first Winter Games medal after winning 39 Summer Olympic medals in Paris 2024, each athlete who competes writes a new chapter in the continent's growing winter sports story.
These trailblazers prove that passion and determination matter more than geography when chasing Olympic dreams.
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Based on reporting by AllAfrica - Headlines
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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