REVOLUTION.

The Saudis go downhill skiing.

And their greatest representative, the only and very first Olympic skier in Beijing, is called Fayik Abdi.

On Sunday, the 24-year-old athlete achieved a small feat by taking part in the giant, at the end of which he finished 44th, far from the Swiss Marco Odermatt.

He who learned to ski young in Lebanon before perfecting his skills in the United States (where he was born) hopes to establish "a link" between the discipline and his country, little known for its snowy slopes.

Sunday, after the first round, Fayik Abdi savored his performance, while wishing "to inspire and encourage the Saudis to do what they love".

(AFP)

TWO BROTHERS.

Still in skiing, it's a 40th place which may seem trivial but which means a lot for the Puerto Rican William Flaherty and his family.

The 17-year-old skier can boast of having taken part in the giant on Sunday.

And for good reason, diagnosed with a rare and serious disease in which the immune system attacks the body's organs at the age of 3, the young man underwent operations and long hospital stays all his life.

But he was especially saved by his big brother, Charles, also an alpine skier and who participated in the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang.

The latter, at the age of 7, donated bone marrow to her.

"He saved my life. (...) By helping me, my dream came true," William told AFP after the race.

Once the Games are over,

Flaherty will again have jaw and knee surgery.

Another operation, of the fibula, could put an end to his sports performance.

(AFP)

Puerto Rico's flag bearer Charles Flaherty, during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Pyeonchang (South Korea), February 9, 2018 Roberto SCHMIDT AFP / Archives

INSTAGRAM.

When bobsleigh pilot Axel Brown decided to quit Team Great Britain to represent Trinidad and Tobago in Beijing, he had to find a pusher.

Brown set her sights on Andre Marcano, a physical education teacher living in New York, and relied on social media Instagram to convince him to go with her.

"I had to be a little insistent but it worked because it's the Olympics," says the pilot.

For the pair, competing on Monday, "our gold medal would be to reach the Top 20", announces the pilot.

That would be something for his teammate who only started training in October and hadn't raced a sled before training in China!

(AFP)

The Trinidad and Tobago bobsleigh, driven by Axel Brown, with his teammate Andre Marcano, during the 2nd training session on the Yanqing Sliding Center track, February 12, 2022 at the Beijing Games Daniel MIHAILESCU AFP

FAINTNESS.

Norwegian Ingrid Tandrevold suffered a major failure in the last lap of the biathlon pursuit on Saturday, at the Zhangjiakou site.

Leaving the shooting range in 3rd place, in the fight with Elvira Oeberg for the bronze medal, she finished 14th.

"She tried to follow Elvira and she struggled to cross the finish line. She was exhausted, so disappointed, but not oblivious. She is eating and drinking now. I think it's the cold and the altitude “, indicated the Norwegian doctor.

Directly after crossing the finish line, she collapsed, feeling unwell.

The Frenchwoman Julia Simon immediately placed Tandrevold in a safe position.

A member of the Italian team and a member of the Norwegian team then carried her out of the

arrival area.

"She is aware and followed by our team. She is fine," reassured Tiril Eckhoff, finally 3rd.

(AFP)

The Norwegian Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold is evacuated after her discomfort at the arrival of the pursuit (10 km) of the Beijing Olympics, on February 13, 2022 at the biathlon site in Zhangjiakou Tobias SCHWARZ AFP

MUSTACHE.

Gone is the handlebar mustache that made Norwegian ski jumper Robert Johansson famous during the Pyeongchang Games in 2018. The fault of the masks that have become essential with the pandemic and which "ruined" his look.

"We started wearing these masks all the time, it got damaged and looked like crap so I had to let it go for a while," Johansson told AFP after training on Sunday.

“Maybe it will come back when the Covid-19 has calmed down a bit”.

One more good reason to hope for the end of the pandemic!

(AFP)

© 2022 AFP