Greater than the Rating – When will Africa win its first Winter Olympic medal? – BBC Sounds – Worldwide Dispatch

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Greater than 3500 athletes from 93 nations might be competing for 195 medals on the Milan-Cortina Video games. Three nations might be making their Winter Olympic debuts on the 2026 Video games, the African nations of Benin and Guinea Bissau together with the United Arab Emirates. However with the established winter sport nations equivalent to Norway, the US of America, Canada and Germany trying to dominate the medal desk as soon as once more, how arduous is it for brand new nations to compete on the world stage?

Eight African nations might be represented this time with Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa together with the 2 debutants participating. South Africa is sending its largest ever crew with 5 athletes, however over six a long time since an African nation made its Winter Olympics debut, the continent’s first medal stays elusive.

Matt Smith solely took up the game three years in the past and is now going to be South Africa’s sole cross-country skier within the upcoming video games. He tells Lee James why he hopes his inclusion can encourage generations to come back, and why he is been nicknamed the ‘Snowbok’. Simidele Adeagbo grew to become the primary Nigerian to compete on the Winter Olympics in 2018 and was the primary black feminine Olympian within the sport of Skeleton. She says with a greater than a billion individuals on the African continent it is essential its athletes are proportionately represented with regards to the Winter Olympics.

Each Monday to Friday, Greater than the Rating tells tales past the scoreline from all around the world of sport. From the Winter Olympics to the Tremendous Bowl, the Australian Open to the Diamond League, and netball to Formulation 1. We have got interviews with extraordinary athletes like Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and biking dash king Harrie Lavreysen, in addition to the specialists working behind the scenes, from the referees who run VAR to the coaches maintaining athletes in peak type. Plus, we have the experience of the BBC’s high journalists, who share their insights from a long time of overlaying sport in any respect ranges. And if you happen to’ve bought your individual tackle the tales we cowl, we would love to listen to from you. E mail morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. Yow will discover extra info, together with our privateness discover, on our web site: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

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