Prince Albert II of Monaco with four Monaco athletes
ANOTHER RECORD BROKEN BY MONACO IN SKIING
Beijing 2022 was Arnaud Alessandria ’ s second Games , the first being Sochi in 2014 , when the athlete was only 20 years old . Arnaud Alessandria began this year ’ s Games with an emotional and magical opening ceremony , when he proudly represented Monaco as the flag bearer . He scanned the vast audience for ex-Olympian Prince Albert II , who was there in support of the three competing athletes , watching Monaco ’ s colours being carried across the world stage .
Although the mountains surrounding Beijing are usually full of snow in February , the Xiaohaituo Mountains were covered in artificial snow for this year ’ s Olympics . Workers groomed the slopes for four months before competitors arrived . The compact snow provided a lot of grip and predictability for Arnaud Alessandria , who enjoyed the skiing conditions .
After the downhill competition was delayed for one day due to high winds , he managed
© Gaetan Luci : Palais princier to finish 29th , just barely reaching his goal of finishing in the top 30 . Next up for the skier was the Super-G , which Arnaud Alessandria decided to enjoy to the fullest , as he feels less competitive about this event compared to the downhill competition . Yet he still managed to achieve a good time in the event and finish 31st .
Arnaud Alessandria ’ s Olympics closed with the demanding combined event . For the downhill part of the competition , he finished in 15th place , or 2.5 seconds greater than his personal best . The next part of the competition was the slalom , a tricky race for most skiers , but it was especially difficult for Arnaud Alessandria because the athlete has had back surgery in the past , and the bumpy event can cause his back to seize up . By the second run of the combined , Arnaud Alessandria ’ s back was locked and his only goal at the time was to get to the bottom . He crossed the finish line 12 seconds behind the best time in the slalom round , but with a big smile on his face . He finished 13th , the best result Monaco has ever accomplished in an Olympic skiing event .
MAKING NEWS
PRINCE ALBERT II SALUTES THE HISTORIC PERFORMANCES OF MONACO ’ S ATHLETES
Straight after this year ’ s Games , Prince Albert II spoke about how proud he is of Monaco ’ s results and he personally congratulated the athletes . He told Rudy Rinaldi and Boris Vain that he was very happy with their outstanding performance , especially since both athletes had to overcome serious physical issues while preparing for the Olympics . Boris Vain underwent surgery for a hernia last June which paralyzed part of his left leg , while Rudy Rinaldi sustained a foot injury last year and tested positive for COVID-19 in December .
The Prince himself was able to expertly analyze the duo ’ s performance as he has competed in five Winter Olympics in the bobsleigh . When you finish 6th at the Games , regardless of the discipline , you are considered the best , said the Prince in a recent press interview . Prince Albert II also revealed that he secretly hopes for a podium position in four years , at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026 .
LOOKING BACK ON MONACO ’ S OLYMPIC APPEARANCES
Monaco first participated at the Olympics in 1920 and has competed in most Games since then . No athlete from Monaco has ever won an Olympic medal , although Julien Médecin did win a bronze medal for architecture at the 1924 Olympics , when the Games also included art competitions . Monaco was first represented in the bobsleigh by Prince Albert II , who is also an International Olympic Committee Member . The Prince competed in the Winter Games from 1988 to 2002 .
© Wander Roberto : ANOC Olympic
© Wander Roberto : ANOC Olympic
Rudy Rinaldi and Boris Vain on the Pekin-2022 bobsleigh track
Arnaud Alessandria competing in the super-G
Hello Monaco Spring 2022 / 17 www . hellomonaco . com