LEBANON – Lebanon once again raised its flag on the Winter Olympic stage as Samer Tawk and Andrea al-Hayek represented the country at the Milan-Cortina Games.
They took part in the opening ceremony on Feb. 6 at Milan’s San Siro Stadium and afterward returned to their mountain base in Italy to finalize preparations for their respective events.
Samer Tawk, 27, from Bsharri, will compete in the 10km individual cross-country skiing race on Feb. 13 in Tesero.
His participation marks another Olympic chapter because he made history at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, becoming the first Lebanese athlete to qualify in cross-country skiing since the creation of the Winter Olympics in 1924.
Moreover, his return to the Games is particularly significant given the challenges he faced, including a severe 14-meter fall in 2019 that nearly left him paralyzed.
Therefore, after years of recovery and relentless training, qualifying for Milan-Cortina stands as both a personal and national achievement.
Andrea al-Hayek, 17, who was born in Paris, will compete in alpine skiing (slalom) on Feb. 16 at the Stelvio station in the Dolomites.
He is a member of the Faraya-Mzaar club in Lebanon and has already built an impressive profile at a young age.
Furthermore, crowned Lebanese champion at 16, Andrea has competed internationally and represented Lebanon in major competitions, while also racing in youth categories for Greece.
He is a student at the Lycée Français in London and now steps onto the Olympic stage earlier than many anticipated, carrying both ambition and experience beyond his years.
Lebanon was initially set to have a third representative, Manon Ouaiss, in giant slalom and slalom, but she was forced to withdraw after suffering a leg injury in January.
At the previous Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, Lebanon was represented by three athletes, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1948, when the country first participated in the Winter Games.
Since then, Lebanon has maintained a consistent presence at the Olympics, underscoring its enduring commitment to winter sports despite limited resources.
As Milan-Cortina unfolds, Tawk and Andrea al-Hayek not only compete for results but also continue Lebanon’s long-standing Olympic journey, one built on resilience, perseverance, and representation on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
