The second member of UAE's Winter Olympics contingent had a difficult outing on Monday as Alex Astridge did not finish his round in the men's slalom competition.
Astridge was the flag bearer of the UAE team at the opening ceremony, along with Piera Hudson, and had hopes of making a mark for the national team during their first appearance at the Winter Games.
However, the teenager found the going tough in the first run and was one of many competitors not to finish the course.
Still, it was an important learning curve for the UAE team. On Sunday, Hudson – who earlier represented her native New Zealand before switching to the UAE in 2025 – made it past the first round in 42nd position but could not complete the medal round.
Astridge, 19, was born in Cambridge, UK. He moved to Dubai with his family when he was six months old. He is a fully home-grown talent, having picked up the sport at Ski Dubai. Astridge has represented the UAE at numerous youth competitions.
Earlier, he spoke to The National about how he cherished the opportunity to represent the UAE.
“This is the first time where I'm part of, I'd say, something more. This isn't just alpine skiing. This is the entirety of not just winter sports, but it's something for the country. I mean, it’s crazy. I'm doing this for my home,” he said.
“Everyone as a kid had an Olympic dream. I don't think that's a unique thing. But it was always a dream until I was 15. I never thought I'd actually be able to realise it and see it happen,” Astridge added.
