Nigeria’s Ikpefan Finishes 65th in Winter Olympics Sprint

Samuel Ikpefan, Nigeria’s sole competitor at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, completed the men’s sprint classic race, finishing 65th in the qualification round. Only the top 30 athletes advanced to the quarter-finals, so he did not move forward.

The 33-year-old skier is making his second consecutive Winter Olympic appearance, following his participation in Beijing 2022. His presence highlights Nigeria’s growing involvement in winter sports despite limited national experience.

Ikpefan is set to compete next in the men’s 10 km interval start event, where he will face a strong international field.

Nigeria has yet to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, with all of its Olympic successes so far coming from the Summer Games.