On the 13th of the Beijing Olympics, a player from Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, known for the harsh heat of summer temperatures approaching 50 degrees Celsius, participated in the Winter Olympics for the first time.
This player is the Saudi Arabia national team for the Giant Slalom Men's Ski Alpine and is a 24-year-old Fayik Abdi.
Born in the United States, after working on skiing in earnest at university, when he returned to Saudi Arabia, the footage of skiing caught the eye of athletes and was selected as a strengthening player last year.
Saudi Arabia, one of the world's leading oil-producing countries, is also focusing on promoting the sports industry while promoting a shift to an industrial structure that does not rely on oil income, and it is a country known for the severe heat of nearly 50 degrees in summer. , We are also promoting the spread and strengthening of winter sports.
Abdi was then the first Saudi Arabian athlete to qualify for the Winter Olympics with full government support, including training in Europe.
In the Giant Slalom on the 13th, visibility was poor due to snow, and the course was frozen, and under severe conditions, 40 people, nearly half of the 80 players who participated, were abstained, but Abdi carefully balanced. However, he completed both runs.
The time was 44th, with a total of 37 seconds behind the top in the two times, but the goal was on Twitter of the Olympic and Paralympic Committee of Saudi Arabia with the comment "Opening up the future of winter sports in Japan". A photo of Abdi later spreading the national flag with a smile was posted.
According to Reuters, Abdi said, "It's good to have diversity in any sport. This is the beginning not only for Saudi Arabia, but for other countries as well, with more countries participating in the future. I want you, "he emphasized the importance of expanding the base of the competition.
The Saudi Arabian government has set up the "Winter Sports Federation" to open the indoor skating rink in western Jeddah for free and open skating classes for beginners, aiming to discover and train Olympic athletes following Abdi.