By Daily Sports Nigeria on February 11, 2026

Nigeria’s sole representative at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Samuel Ikpefan, finished 65th in the men’s sprint classic qualification on Tuesday, bringing his first event at the Games to a rapid close, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Ikpefan posted a time of 3:33.31, ending 25.94 seconds behind the fastest qualifier, a result that earned him 166.13 FIS points.

The finish meant he failed to progress beyond the qualification round, with only the top 30 athletes advancing to the quarter-finals.

The 33-year-old cross-country skier is competing at his second consecutive Winter Olympics and remains Nigeria’s only athlete at the Games.

Born and raised in the French Alps, Ikpefan also represented the country at Beijing 2022, where he placed 73rd in the men’s sprint free and later withdrew from the 15km classic after suffering Covid-19 complications. Despite that setback, he carried the Nigerian flag at the closing ceremony.

While Ikpefan’s campaign began quietly, the men’s sprint classic was dominated by Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who won gold to secure his second title of the Milano Cortina Games. The victory marked a seventh Olympic gold medal for the Norwegian, who finished ahead of American Ben Ogden, with Oskar Opstad Vike completing the podium in bronze.

Klæbo has now won two gold medals from two events at Milano Cortina 2026 and has moved to within one title of matching compatriot Bjoern Daehlie’s record haul of eight Olympic golds. His next chance comes in the men’s 10km interval start free on Friday.

Ikpefan is also scheduled to return to action on Friday in the men’s 10km interval start free, where he will face another highly competitive field.

His participation in Milano Cortina makes him the first Nigerian athlete to compete at the Winter Olympics twice, extending the country’s growing, though still modest, presence at the Winter Games.

Nigeria is yet to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, with all of its 80 Olympic medals coming from the Summer Olympics.

Source Punch Ng

Posted February 11, 2026

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