Andorra Secures Six Skiers for Milan-Cortina Olympics
With one month to go, Andorra has qualified at least six athletes in alpine and cross-country skiing, potentially matching past records amid quota.
Key Points
- Six athletes qualified: alpine skiers Joan Verdú, Cande Moreno; cross-country Gina del Rio, Irineu Esteve.
- Two more quota spots likely in alpine skiing via IOC guarantees and rankings.
- Candidates include Bartumeu Gabriel, Carla Mijares; final picks based on World Cup results.
- Team skips Milan ceremony for training, joins parallel events in Cortina and Predazzo.
One month remains until the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics open on February 6, with Andorra set to field at least six athletes across alpine and cross-country skiing.
The Games, running through February 22 in the Italian Alps, represent a major milestone for the Andorran Ski Federation (FAE). Six spots are already secured: alpine skiers Joan Verdú and Cande Moreno qualified through strong international results, while cross-country athletes Gina del Rio and Irineu Esteve will compete in Predazzo starting February 7.
Two additional quota spots remain available, likely in alpine skiing where Andorra benefits from International Olympic Committee rules guaranteeing four places—two per gender—for athletes meeting FIS minimum standards. Several FAE skiers have cleared this threshold. Verdú's top-30 ranking in World Cup giant slalom has already unlocked an extra slot, and reallocations from other nations could add more if quotas go unfilled. Moreno might secure another if she finishes in the top 30 in speed events.
Final selections will hinge on World Cup and Europa Cup performances, with input from the Andorran Olympic Committee. In men's alpine, Bartumeu Gabriel leads candidates including Àlex Rius and Xavier Cornella, thanks to his current ranking edge. For women, Carla Mijares and Jordina Caminal are vying to join Moreno.
This setup positions Andorra to match or exceed its record delegations from Lillehammer 1994, Vancouver 2010, and Sochi 2014.
Andorra's team faces logistical hurdles for the opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro stadium on February 6. Early competition starts and distances to venues like Predazzo make attendance impossible, as athletes must focus on official training. The Andorran Olympic Committee is planning participation in parallel events in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Predazzo instead. Andorra will still have an institutional presence in the decentralized format, coinciding with a Games first: two cauldrons lit in Milan and Cortina.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: