The 16 year old Israeli skier Noa Szollos claimed her country’s first ever Winter Olympic medal with a stunning performance to win bronze in the Women’s Super Giant Slalom (Super-G) at Lausanne 2020.
For the first time ever the in Winter Olympic history the Games enjoy gender equality, with equal numbers of male and female competitors in the 81 medal events.
Szollos was expected to achieve a top ten finish, but surpassed all her dreams. She was the 26th starter out of 62 competitors and was fastest when she crossed the line in 56.36 seconds. In the end she had to settle for bronze as Amelie Klopfenstein of Switzerland and France’s Caitlin McFarlane took gold and silver respectively.
Szollos’ father Peter, a former world championship skier, followed her performance on the slope. Her brother Barnabas finished seventh in the slalom at the Youth Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer four years ago.
Lausanne 2020 is the third edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), bringing together the world’s best young athletes between the ages of 15 and 18.
1,872 athletes from 79 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will be in action in Lausanne, 12 of those NOCs take part for the first time at a Youth Olympic Games. Those new participant Natioanl Olympic Commitees are Albania, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Haiti, Hong Kong (China), Kosovo, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Trinidad & Tobago.
To watch the interview with Noa Szollos just after being presented the bronze medal she won at the WYOG Lausane 2020, click on the link provided at the end of this post.
Image over the headline.- Israeli skier Noa Szollos after winning her country’s first ever Winter Olympic medal. Caption from the interview video. © Copyright International Olympic Committee 2020
Related eastwind links:
Interview with Israeli skier Noa Szollos after winning her country’s first ever Winter Olympic medal
