MILAN, Italy – Nikhil Alleyne created history on Saturday when he became the first male skier to represent Trinidad and Tobago on the Olympic stage when he contested the giant slalom at Milano Cortina.
Nikhil AlleyneAlleyne recorded a time of 1:27.79 in his opening run, which placed him 59th. He improved in his second run to cross the finish line 1:19.93, which helped him climb the rankings and finish 52nd overall out of 81 competitors with a combined time of 2:47.72.
Speaking after his performance, the 21-year-old Alleyne said he felt honoured to represent T&T at such a prestigious event.
“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. 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.
“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,” Alleyne said.
Alleyne will next contest the slalom race in two days’ time.
