Update: The information below, shared by the athletes, was incorrect. They are not the first skiers to represent Kuwait or the first to compete at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championship. Kuwaiti skier Bashar Huneidi represented Kuwait in various FIS ski competitions between 1996 and 2008. In fact, BBC referred to him as a “desert skier” in a 2002 article about his efforts to get Kuwait into the Winter Olympics. I’m sorry for the error and for not verifying the athletes’ claims before sharing.
A a couple of years ago, I posted about Kuwait’s National Ski Team, and now, for the first time, they’ll be competing at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Austria next month.
Jassim Hassan and Faris Al-Obaid will both be competing in the Giant Slalom category. The Giant Slalom is an alpine skiing race that tests athletes’ technical skills and speed as they navigate a downhill course marked by widely spaced gates.
Kuwaiti athletes have been training and competing extensively during the winter seasons to rack up points, aiming to qualify Kuwait for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Though it’s an ambitious goal (think Cool Runnings), the points earned next month will be valuable.
To stay posted on their progress, follow their instagram accounts @the_kuwaiti_skier and @theunicornshepherd
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