S’pore’s Faiz Basha battles tough conditions, places 35th in slalom at Winter Olympics
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Faiz Basha of Singapore in action during the men's slalom run 1 at the Winter Olympics.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- On Feb 14, Singaporean skier Faiz Basha's Winter Olympics debut in giant slalom ended in a DNF after he lost his right ski.
- Faiz demonstrated remarkable grit, finishing top-35 in slalom on Feb 16 despite treacherous snow, clocking 2:20.45 as over half of competitors recorded a DNF.
- Faiz Basha is Singapore's second Winter Olympian, showcasing determination to compete and achieve a notable finish in challenging conditions.
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SINGAPORE – After enduring a difficult start to his Winter Olympics debut, Singaporean alpine skier Faiz Basha returned to the Bormio slopes with a vengeance on Feb 16.
On Feb 14, the 23-year-old saw his run in the men’s giant slalom ending prematurely with a DNF (did not finish)
Two days later, he had to battle through driving snow in his first slalom run at the Stelvio Ski Centre in Bormio, Italy. But he powered through the treacherous conditions to clock a time of 2 minutes and 20.45 seconds across two runs to finish 35th.
More than half of the 96 competitors recorded a DNF owing to the tough conditions.
Switzerland’s Loic Meillard was crowned the men’s slalom champion after he finished in a time of 1:53.61, with Austria’s Fabio Gstrein claiming silver (1:53.96) and Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen winning bronze (1:54.74).
Gold medallist Loic Meillard of Switzerland poses on the podium of the men's slalom alpine skiing event during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
PHOTO: AFP
Among those whose hopes were scuppered by heavy snow and poor visibility was Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the gold medallist in the giant slalom.
The Brazilian lost control on his first run and was forced to make an early exit. Only 44 of the 96 starters, including Faiz, completed their first runs.
The giant slalom and slalom events consist of two runs, with both run times added together to decide the final standings.
Only athletes who finish the first run qualify for the second.
Slalom involves skiing between poles or gates on a downhill course, with the event the shortest course of the disciplines with the tightest turns.
Faiz is just Singapore’s second representative at the quadrennial showpiece. Short track speed skater Cheyenne Goh was the first when she took part in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
The Singaporean alpine skier, who picked up the sport at the age of three, has demonstrated unwavering dedication in his journey to the highest level of the sport.
Even during national service, when he had no access to the snowy slopes – he improvised by skating up and down a running track that surrounds the National Stadium on inline skates.
