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The first athlete to compete for Taiwan at the 2026 Winter Olympics is Taiwanese-American cross-country skier, Sophia Tsu Velicer. She’s also the very first to represent Taiwan in the sport at the Olympics. On Saturday, she completed the women’s 10km+10km skiathlon and ranked 52nd among 70 contestants. Speaking to a reporter after her win, she said that even though she’s hardly lived in Taiwan, it’s a country that she loves.

The skier in a pink suit numbered 52 is Sophia Tsu Velicer. She completed the women’s 10km+10km skiathlon in one hour, three minutes and 57.5 seconds, ranking 52nd among 70 contestants. She’s also the first to represent Taiwan in the sport.

Sophia Tsu Velicer
Cross-country skier
I’m incredibly honored to be the first woman to represent Taiwan at the Olympics in cross-country skiing. I mean, this is a sport that I love, and Taiwan is a country that I love, even though I’m no — I’ve never fully lived in Taiwan, I still have a very close connection to it, and I’m just, like, so honored to represent Taiwan.

Velicer, now 26, was born in the US state of Michigan to a Taiwanese mother and an American father. Her extended family is in Italy to cheer for her, including her 86-year-old maternal grandma.

Sophia Tsu Velicer
Cross-country skier
I’m really, really happy that she came out. You know, she’s been one of my biggest supporters throughout the years, but she doesn’t really know that much about cross-country skiing as a sport, and this is her first time seeing me cross-country ski at the Olympics, which is really, really cool, and I hope that I’m making her proud.

And her grandma really is very proud of her.

Velicer’s maternal grandma
Attending 2026 Winter Olympics
It’s really an achievement for a kid to be able to ski to that level. She’s faced so many difficulties throughout training. She’s really touching others being a skier of such a high level. She inspired others first.

Velicer has three more games lined up at the Winter Olympics. She hopes to make it to the Top 40 in all three.

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