Kenya will be represented on the snowy slopes of northern Italy this February as Sabrina Wanjiku Simader and Issa Laborde clinch their spots for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the National Olympic Committee of Kenya announced.
Their qualification marks a thrilling chapter in Team Kenya’s growing winter sports story.
From February 6 to 22, the world’s elite winter athletes will converge across multiple venues in northern Italy to contest events on snow and ice. The Paralympic Winter Games follow from 6 to 15 March, turning the region into a global arena for speed, precision, and icy spectacle.
Known as the “Snow Leopard,” Sabrina Wanjiku returns to the Olympic fold eight years after her PyeongChang 2018 debut.
Now 27, she remains one of Kenya’s most iconic winter athletes. Introduced to skiing at age three after moving to Austria, Sabrina has become a symbol of resilience and possibility for Kenyan sports on snow.
NOCK hailed her comeback as more than a personal milestone — it is a continuation of a trailblazing journey that proves Kenyan athletes can carve out a place on the world’s winter stage. Experience, grit, and unfinished business are the themes she brings to Milano Cortina.
Eighteen-year-old Issa Laborde makes his senior Olympic debut after representing Kenya at the Gangwon 2024 Youth Winter Olympic Games.
Born and raised in L’Alpe d’Huez, France, and coached early by his father, a ski patroller, Issa chose to compete for his mother’s homeland and has steadily climbed from junior competitions to the senior spotlight.
NOCK described his ascent as a vivid reminder that Team Kenya’s Olympic dream knows no limits; not even snow.
Both athletes will compete in alpine skiing, the high-speed discipline where racers hurtle down icy slopes against the clock. Their presence in Milano Cortina is a statement: Kenya’s flag belongs not only on sunlit tracks but also on frosted peaks.
As the countdown to Milano Cortina begins, Kenya’s winter duo will carry national hopes and a narrative of boundary-breaking ambition.
Their stories blend heritage, global upbringing, and fierce determination, promising moments of drama and inspiration on the Olympic slopes.
