11 Catalan athletes to compete at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

11 Catalan athletes will compete in the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, which will be inaugurated on February 6. 

This represents a record number of Catalan athletes in the 20-athlete national team, with more than half of the delegation coming from Catalonia. 

Until this year, the record stood at eight athletes of Catalan origin, who competed at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. 

Full list of Catalan representatives

Snowboarding

Queralt Castellet, who is possibly the most experienced Olympian in the national delegation, is set to appear at her sixth Olympic Games after claiming silver in snowboarding at the Beijing Olympics 2022. 

She will be joined by rising talent Nora Cornell, who is making her Olympic debut.

Ski mountaineering 

Competing in the ski mountaineering team for Catalonia are Oriol Cardona, Ot Ferrer and Maria Costa Díez.

Oriol Cardona stands out as a potential medal contender. He is expected to be in "excellent form" after securing gold at the final Ski Mountaineering World Cup event in Courchevel, France. 

Cross-country skiing 

Catalonia is also strongly represented in cross-country skiing, with Jaume Pueyo, Bernat Sellés, and Marc Collell all selected for the Spanish delegation. 

Considered one of Spain’s leading cross-country skiers, Pueyo has posted strong World Cup results and previously represented Spain at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he finished 37th.

Alpine skiing

Representing Spain in the Olympics are two alpine skiers with one of them being Catalan. Catalonia is represented by Quim Salarich who has competed in the two previous winter Olympics. 

Salarich is said to be in the best form of his season after achieving a magnificent Top 13 in Alta Badia, a classic stop on the Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit in northern Italy.

Figure skating 

Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté from Barcelona will be making his Olympic debut as the only Catalan figure skater in the Spanish delegation. 

Sabaté has drawn media attention due to a copyright dispute over his Olympic short program, which features music from the 'Minions' movie soundtrack. 

The matter has reportedly been resolved, and he will not be required to change his program.

Speed skating

Also born in Barcelona, Nil Llop Izquierdo has been making Spanish Olympic history by becoming the first Spanish speed skater to ever qualify for the Olympic Games.