Both representatives were born in the United States, but have lived on the island for years.
Foto:
Ricardo Arduengo / AFP / Getty Images
Two athletes will represent Puerto Rico at the Beijing Winter Olympics, one of them just 17 years old and a survivor of a serious autoimmune disease and several tumors, the local Olympic Committee COPUR announced on Thursday.
Is about William Flaherty, the youngest who competes in slalom and giant slalom, and Kellie Delka, 34, a skeleton athlete, for whom Beijing 2022 is their first Olympic date.
The president of the Puerto Rico Winter Sports Federation, Antonio Colón, explained in a virtual press conference that the initial idea was to present a delegation of ten members.
“We had about ten athletes in the process of training but due to the pandemic we had two athletes drop out, who suffered severe COVID-19, and others who could not train enough“, lament.
Colón indicated that Flaherty may be the “youngest” participant in Beijing 2022, although this position still depends on whether or not another minor confirms his attendance.
The young man, who has the giant slalom event on February 13 and the slalom event on the 16th, was diagnosed with only three years of a rare and autoimmune disease and “very severe”: “He almost died,” he explained. Colon.
He survived thanks to a bone marrow transplant given to him by his brother Charles, who competed in the giant slalom event at the last Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018.
Then the young man has had several tumors and must undergo medical examinations every six months, but that does not prevent him from being able to compete, according to COPUR.
Flaherty, natural de Ohio, moved to the Caribbean island 12 years ago, while Kellie Delka is originally from Texas but has lived in Puerto Rico for four years. The minimum requirement is a three-year residency.
Delka, who has previously represented the United States but never at an Olympics, is one of 25 women qualified in skeleton, a prone downhill event on a simple sled.
Fernando Olivero, the director of the COPUR High Performance Department, said in the virtual press conference that Delka will compete in the first two series on February 11 and the second two on the 12th.
“Our competitor can aspire to reach between positions 18 and 24Oliver pointed out.
Despite the announcement of a diplomatic boycott by several countries, Beijing will finally become the first city to host both a Winter and a Summer Olympics.
eldiariony.com
Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.