Nigeria’s sole representative at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Samuel Ikpefan, finished 65th. He competed in the men’s sprint classic qualification on Tuesday, ending his first event quickly. Ikpefan posted a time of 3:33.31, trailing the fastest qualifier by 25.94 seconds.
This result earned him 166.13 FIS points and prevented progression to the quarter-finals. Only the top 30 athletes advanced, leaving Ikpefan outside the qualifying group. The 33-year-old cross-country skier is competing at his second consecutive Winter Olympics.
Ikpefan also represented Nigeria at Beijing 2022, placing 73rd in the men’s sprint free. He later withdrew from the 15km classic due to Covid-19 complications. Despite that setback, he proudly carried Nigeria’s flag at the closing ceremony.
The men’s sprint classic was dominated by Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who won gold. American Ben Ogden claimed silver, while Oskar Opstad Vike completed the podium in bronze. Klæbo now holds two gold medals at Milano Cortina 2026 and nears Bjoern Daehlie’s record.
Ikpefan is scheduled to compete again on Friday in the men’s 10km interval start free. He will face another highly competitive field in his second event of the Games. His participation makes him the first Nigerian athlete to compete at two Winter Olympics.
Nigeria remains without a Winter Olympics medal, with all 80 Olympic medals coming from Summer Games. Ikpefan’s presence continues to grow Nigeria’s modest but historic participation at the Winter Olympics.
