Nigeria’s Samuel Ikpefan achieves Olympic goal at Milano Cortina 2026

Nigeria’s sole representative at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Samuel Ikpefan, has successfully completed his cross-country skiing events, fulfilling a personal goal he set for himself ahead of the Games.

The 34-year-old skier finished the men’s 10km interval start free on Friday in Tesero, clocking a time of 26:38.4. He placed 94th overall, 6 minutes and 2.2 seconds behind gold medalist Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway.

Earlier in the Games, Ikpefan also competed in the men’s sprint, where he finished 65th in the qualification round but did not advance to the later stages.

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For Ikpefan, competing in his second consecutive Winter Olympics, this year’s performance marks a significant improvement. His debut at the Beijing 2022 Games was hampered by COVID-19 related issues, which led to him not finishing the men’s 15km classic and placing 73rd in the sprint.

Last year, Ikpefan stated his primary objective for Milano Cortina was simply to complete all his scheduled races, a mission he has now accomplished.

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Klæbo Claims Gold, Ogden Ends U.S. Drought in Sprint Classic

In the men’s cross-country sprint classic, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo secured the gold medal. Ben Ogden of the United States made history by winning silver, ending a 50-year Olympic medal drought for the U.S. men’s cross-country team. Klæbo’s compatriot, Oskar Opstad Vike, completed the podium with a bronze medal.