‘African nations warming up to winter sports’

PYEONGCHANG:Togo’s trailblazing cross-country skier Mathilde-Amivi Petitjean is glad she is no longer the “new kid on the block” at the Winter Olympics and says the record number of African countries competing in Pyeongchang proves the continent is warming to sports on snow and ice.

A multiple exposure image of Canada’s Laurie Blouin during the qualification for the women’s air snowboard competition in Pyeongchang on Monday. AP/PTI

PYEONGCHANG, February 19

Togo’s trailblazing cross-country skier Mathilde-Amivi Petitjean is glad she is no longer the “new kid on the block” at the Winter Olympics and says the record number of African countries competing in Pyeongchang proves the continent is warming to sports on snow and ice. Togo was one of only three African nations to compete in Sochi four years ago but with eight nations sending athletes to the Games in South Korea, Petitjean said the media spotlight is less intense this time around.

“It’s great to have more and more African countries participating in the Games,” she told a news conference on Monday. “In Sochi I was the new kid on the block, first time that Togo was represented, so it was exciting and very new.

“This time it’s my second Winter Games .... so I’m not the new kid on the block anymore. All sorts of other African athletes have now joined and are newcomers and that’s very helpful. I feel a little more at ease. I’m not as timid anymore and I’m very happy about not being so visible so I can concentrate much more on my competitions.”

Despite the obvious challenges for Africa in producing winter sports athletes, Petitjean said nothing should hold the continent back from trying to carve out a place for itself at the Winter Games. “It’s not because there’s no snow in my country that there shouldn’t be any skiing,” added Petitjean.

“Africans live elsewhere in the world, not only in Africa, and they have the right to represent their country even if they don’t live in their mother country.”

Gay kiss lights up Olympics

Gay freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy said it was a moment that he “never dreamed” possible as a child after he was filmed kissing his partner on live television at the Olympics. It has been hailed by some as a landmark moment in Games history and the footage went viral on social media.

The 26-year-old American finished 12th in the slopestyle on Sunday but still found himself making headlines after kissing his boyfriend at the bottom of the slope while the TV cameras were on him. “Didn’t realise this moment was being filmed yesterday but I’m so happy that it was,” tweeted Kenworthy. — Agencies