Nigeria will be represented by Samuel Ikpefan as its sole athlete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with the cross-country skier set to compete in two events at the Games.
The 33-year-old, who was born and raised in the French Alps, will be Nigeria’s only competitor for the second consecutive Winter Olympics, having also represented the country at Beijing 2022.
Ikpefan is scheduled to race in the men’s sprint classic on Sunday, February 8, at 1:25pm Nigerian time, before returning to action in the men’s 10km interval start free on Friday, February 13, at 11:45am.
At the Beijing Games, Ikpefan finished 73rd in the men’s sprint free and later withdrew from the 15km classic due to Covid-19 complications. Despite the setback, he carried Nigeria’s flag during the closing ceremony.
Milano Cortina 2026 is expected to feature about 2,900 athletes from 92 countries, competing across 16 sports and 116 medal events.
Ikpefan has maintained a consistent presence on the international circuit, with multiple appearances at the FIS Nordic World Championships, competing in both sprint races and distance events up to 15km. His most recent outing came at the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim, where he again featured in sprint and distance competitions.
Nigeria made its Winter Olympics debut at Pyeongchang 2018, when Seun Adigun, Akuoma Omeoga and Ngozi Onwumere competed in bobsleigh, alongside skeleton racer Simidele Adeagbo. The country returned to the Winter Games in Beijing 2022 with Ikpefan as its only athlete, while Adigun attended in a medical capacity and served as Nigeria’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony.
Ikpefan’s appearance in Milano Cortina will make him the first Nigerian athlete to compete at two Winter Olympic Games. Nigeria is yet to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, with all of its 80 Olympic medals coming from the Summer Games.
