History was made for T&T at the Winter Olympic Games in Italy on Saturday when alpine skier Nikhil Alleyne took to the slopes.
Alleyne became the first male skier to wear the red, white, and black of T&T on the Olympic stage as he contested the Men’s Giant Slalom at Milano Cortina. He opened with a time of 1:27.79 in Run 1, placing 59th, before returning for Run 2 to deliver a strong 1:19.93. These performances allowed him to climb the rankings and finish 52nd overall with a combined time of 2:47.72.
Reflecting on the milestone, Alleyne described it as a steady performance. “It feels very special that I was able to represent the country. I hope that I was able to do two good runs; my family was all watching,” he said. “I think I could always do better, and I would hope to improve in the future. It was an okay performance, but I always hope for more.”
Regarding the pressure of the event, Alleyne admitted to some jitters. “I was actually really nervous before the first one. I knew I could do it, but the level of the race made me a little bit nervous. I tried not to let it affect me too much and just made my race plan and go for it but still, I was nervous for sure.”
A world-class field of 81 athletes from across the globe contested the event, but only 69 successfully completed both runs, highlighting the technical difficulty and unforgiving nature of the Olympic course.
Alleyne was born in California and raised by a T&T dad and a mom from India. After years of constant preparation, Alleyne was determined to cast away his fears of competing against the best in the world and go after two solid performances, which he achieved. The 21-year-old in a previous report said he was focused on delivering two composed, mistake-free runs rather than being distracted by times.
He took to social media after his first run, happy ahead of the other. According to Alleyne, “ I think after my first run, I got most of the nerves out of the way, and I think I performed better in my second run. Yeah, my time was more competitive.”
He is a product of perseverance rather than natural talent, he told the media, after his father introduced him to the sport by making weekly trips to Tahoe during the winter season.
Alleyne will next contest the Slalom race in two days’ time. He said he will use today to prepare.
Meanwhile, fellow T&T alpine skier Emma Gatcliffe plunges into action Sunday, making history as the first female alpine skier to represent the twin-island republic at the Olympics. Contesting the Giant Slalom, Gatcliffe will also go after improved times and performances this morning, having already made a named for herself.
Canadian-born to a Trinidadian father and a French-Canadian mother, Gatcliffe holds dual citizenship. Her journey to the Olympics has been marked by dedication, support from her teammates in ski and a strong sense of national pride.
She attends St Lawrence University, where she is a member of the St Lawrence Saints alpine ski team and Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Meanwhile, the country’s two-man bobsled team will spring into action tomorrow at 10 am for heats one and two. T&T’s two-man team will comprise captain Axel Browne and De Aundre John. The team will again compete a day later, Tuesday (February 17), in heats three and four, before the four-man bobsled event takes place on February 21 and 22. That team will feature Browne, Xaverri Williams, Shakeel John, and De Aundre John (for both races). The spare athlete will be Micah Moore, with the coach being Lee Johnston.
