Taiwan’s first female Olympic cross-country skier competes
台灣第一位女子奧運越野滑雪選手參賽
| TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Sophia Velicer, also known as Yu Rui (余睿), became Taiwan’s first athlete to compete at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday and the nation’s first woman to race in Olympic cross-country skiing, per UDN.
Velicer opened her Olympic debut in the women’s 10km + 10km skiathlon, finishing in 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 57.5 seconds. Her time placed her 52nd among 70 competitors. On Tuesday, she competed in the women’s sprint classic, posting a time of 4 minutes and 2.29 seconds to again finish 52nd, this time among 87 skiers. She did not advance in either event but ranked first among Asian competitors in both races. Velicer still has two events remaining: the 10km individual time trial (freestyle) and the 50km mass start (classic). Making her Olympic debut at age 26, Velicer said she felt nervous ahead of her first race. “Before the first race, I really didn’t know what would happen,” she said. “I was a bit overwhelmed by the pressure.” Born to a Taiwanese mother and an American father, Velicer spent much of her life in Lansing, Michigan. She said she is proud of her Taiwanese roots and was especially moved to have her 86-year-old maternal grandmother in attendance, watching her compete in cross-country skiing for the first time. Velicer said representing Taiwan at the Milano Cortina Games carried honor and responsibility. She added that she was satisfied with both of her performances. “Today, I’m truly proud to be number one in Asia,” she said. “This is an international competition, not the Asian Games, but knowing my position among Asian athletes is still very meaningful.” She acknowledged struggling with sleep and lingering nerves before the competitions. “My overall condition might not have been ideal, but I’ve been preparing for the Olympics for a whole year, so my body actually remembers how to ski,” she said. |
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| Sean Scanlan Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2026-02-11 |
