Malta’s only athlete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang is gearing up for competition.
Elise Pellegrin will be proudly carrying the Maltese flag during the Opening Ceremony which starts at 12:00hrs, Central European Time.
Malta will be the 24th country to enter the parade according to the Korean alphabet. Greece, as the creators of the Olympic Games traditionally go in first, whilst Korea, as hosts, enter the parade last.
Officials of the Maltese Olympic Committee are currently in the Pyeongchang Olympic Village and are making the last minute preparations before the arrival of Malta’s Alpine Skier Elise Pellegrin, who will arrive in Korea this evening (Tuesday 6th February) accompanied by her coach Marvin Hocquaux
The Maltese contingent will be attending a Team Welcome Ceremony hosted by the Mayor on Thursday, where an exchange of gifts will take place.
The Winter Olympic Games Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday 9th February at 12:00hrs CET,
Malta’s Pellegrin will be in action on the slopes on Monday 12th February and Wednesday 14th February.
Photos Courtesy: Dr. Lucienne Attard
Elise Pellegrin to compete in her second Winter Olympics.
Twenty six year old, Elise Pellegrin will be flying the Maltese flag at the 2018 Winter Olympics which will take place between the 9th and 25th February in Pyeongchang, Korea.
Alpine Skier Pellegrin, will be making her second appearance in the Winter Olympics, having represented Malta in Sochi in 2014. Her starting ranking in the Giant Slalom was 91. Following her first run she finished in 72nd position whilst after the second run she went up eight places to finish in 64th place. Pellegrin fared better in the Slalom event placing 52nd in her first run and moving up to 39th place in the second run.
In order to seek qualification for the 2018 Winter Games Pellegrin competed in a number of FIS competitions held in Argentina, Italy, France and the United States.
In Pyeongchang, Pellegrin will be competing in the Women’s Giant Slalom and the Women’s Slalom. Competitions will take place at the Yongpyong Alpine Centre on the 12th and 14th February. Throughout the competition Pellegrin will be under the watchful eye of her coach Marvin Hocquaux.
Malta’s hopes to have a second athlete were dashed when Jenise Spiteri, competing in the Snowboard Half Pipe discipline, narrowly missed out qualification. She finished in 25th place, with only the top 24 making it to Pyeongchang.
“It is an honour for us to see the Maltese flag flying proudly in Pyeongchang. We are pleased to see that the support given to these athletes, though the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship scheme are bearing fruit” remarked Julian Pace Bonello, President, Maltese Olympic Committee. “Despite Jenise Spiteri narrowly missing out on qualification, Malta’s participation in Winter Sports was something unheard of in the past years, so [...]
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