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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Jeremy Armstrong

Alpine skier beams with pride as he becomes first man to represent Haiti at Winter Olympics

He's the Olympic Alpine skier. From Haiti.

Richardson Viano, 19, spoke of his pride as he became the first ever man to represent the Caribbean country at a Winter Games.

He took part in the Alpine Skiing Men's Slalom against Brit Beijing 2022 medal hope Dave Ryding - and admitted that he was happy just to finish.

Plucked from a Haiti orphanage at three years old by his adoptive dad Andrea - an Alpine ski guide - and mum Silvia, he decided to represent his home country after learning to ski in France.

"I was born in Haiti and my father is an Alpine guide," he told the Mirror after his first run at the National Alpine Ski Centre in Yanqing. At -15C (5F), it was somewhat cooler than Haiti's 35C, (95F) in Port au Prince.

(REUTERS)

"When I came to France, he taught me how to ski, and I loved the mountains. I've not been back to Haiti since I was a little boy, I would like to go back because I have no memories of Haiti or my family there.

"The President was killed last year so I've had no message from the Government about representing their country, but I've been adopted by the Olympic family and their Olympic association has welcomed me.

"I'm really happy because I finished the run. It is a good feeling just to be here and to have done that run. The motivation for me was just to finish with the fewest mistakes possible and to do my best.

"It was hard because the snow is very hard and difficult but I finished the race." He added: "I am the first Haitian to do that, the first to compete at an Olympic Winter Games and that is a great pleasure for me, to have competed for my country at an Olympics."

Mia Clerc, 20, did the same for her native Madagascar in the Women Giant Slalom event. She was also adopted by a French family when she was just 18-months-old and learned to ski in the popular French Alpine resort of Les Gets, growing up in the Haute-Savoie region close to the resort of Chamonix.

She has met her biological mum - who gave her up her daughter for the chance of a 'beautiful life' - and brothers and in 2020, she won the South American cup in Slalom. Mia, with a beaming smile, told how she finished 41st and 43rd at the Games here.

She hopes to work in fashion and designed her own outfit. She said: "I just wanted to enjoy it and do my best. I went back to Madagascar five years ago and met my biological mum for the first time which was really cool.

"The children in the orphanage follow me on Facebook but they don't really know what snow is and can't really imagine what it is or what I do.

Mia Clerc in action in the women's giant slalom (Getty Images)

"But they know I am competing at the Olympics and they have discovered Alpine ski-ing as a sport and I have shown them that I am proud to represent their country."

Her adopted parents Stephane and Sylvie introduced her to ski-ing at three years old and she joined a club in Les Gets. She has an adopted sister who has grown up with her in France, and two biological sisters and three brothers who were born in Madagascar.

Philippe Razanakolona, the vice president of the Madagascar Ski Federation, is promoting the Big Red island because it is one of the poorest nations on earth.

Inspired by the Jamaica bobsleigh team and the Cool Runnings movie, he uses sport to fundraise for the country where his dad Victor, 78, was born. He moved to Canada 50 years ago.

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