South Africa’s largest-ever Winter Olympic team turned lifelong dreams into reality at Milano Cortina 2026, leaving a mark on the global stage.
Milano Cortina, Italy (20 February 2026) – As the curtain slowly comes down on the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Team South Africa can take a bow.
This year’s Winter Games have been nothing short of historic for the Green and Gold. South Africa sent its largest-ever Winter Olympic delegation. That’s 5 athletes flying the flag on ice and snow, marking a major milestone for a country better known for sunshine than snowfall. And while the competition schedule has wrapped up for our athletes, the pride still lingers.
From the outset, this campaign felt different. Two teenagers were part of the squad, symbolising a new generation daring to dream beyond traditional sporting codes.
Among them was 19-year-old alpine skier Lara Markthaler, who put the finishing touches on her Olympic debut with a strong showing in the Women’s Slalom. After celebrating her 19th birthday just days earlier on the slopes, she returned to improve on her Giant Slalom performance.
In the Slalom, Lara clocked 52.72 seconds in her first run (placing 46th) and 56.95 in her second (40th in that run). Combined, that lifted her to 39th overall. Seven places better than her 46th-place finish in the Giant Slalom. On a course where 20 athletes recorded a DNF (Did Not Finish), simply completing both runs was an achievement in itself.
Seventeen-year-old Thomas Weir also turned a childhood dream into reality, making his Olympic debut in both the Slalom and Giant Slalom. Competing against the world’s best on a punishing course, he posted a combined time of 2:52.03.
Team South Africa summed it up best in their message of congratulations to every athlete who competed. Recognising the dedication, resilience and pride shown on the world stage. The performances in Italy have laid down a marker.
While the competition may be over for our athletes, the Games themselves will officially close on 22 February with the much-anticipated Closing Ceremony, one final celebration of global unity through sport.
If you’d like to see the full results for Team South Africa and track how each athlete performed throughout the Games, you can view the complete breakdown on the official Olympics results page.
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