People wearing face masks are seen near the lit-up Olympic rings at top of the Olympic Tower, a year ahead of the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, in Beijing, China February 4, 2021. — Reuters pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Malaysia will most likely be represented by two athletes at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games scheduled from February 4 to 20 next year.
Exactly 50 days before the opening ceremony for Beijing 2022, Malaysia’s chef de mission Moira Tan said America-based alpine skiers Jeffrey Webb and Aruwin Salehhuddin are set to make the cut.
Jeffrey, 23, who is in line for his second consecutive Games, is currently training in the United States, while Aruwin, 17, who has shifted her training stint to Croatia, is set to make her dream debut to rub shoulders against the world’s best.
“The final confirmation will be received from the organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by next month. But these two athletes are almost certain to feature in Beijing, though the disciplines are yet to be confirmed.
“We are also monitoring our chances in the skeleton event, but for now the ranking is still very far (to qualify),” she said when contacted today.
Skeleton is an event where competitors ride head-first prone position, lying face down on a flat sled, with speeds exceeding130km/h.
Malaysia, a country without snowfall, made history with its Winter Olympics debut three years ago at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games in South Korea through Julian Yee and Jeffrey.
Figure skater Julian, 24, finished 25th in the men’s singles, while Jeffrey ended 68th in the men’s giant slalom and didn’t finish in the men’s slalom.
However, Moira said Julian would probably miss the upcoming Winter Games, after the Covid-19 pandemic halted the Canada-based skater’s preparations and he missed a lot of qualifying tournaments. — Bernama