Andorran Paralympian Puig DNFs Slalom Amid Heavy Snow Chaos

Andorran Paralympic alpine skier Roger Puig ended his Milan-Cortina campaign without completing the slalom in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Sunday, exiting the course after balance issues on a track battered by more than 20 centimetres of wet new snow.

The event faced extreme weather from the start, blocking access roads with stranded vehicles and requiring intensive preparation at the venue. Workers deployed small turbines to clear snow, retrac machines to smooth surroundings, grooming equipment, and salt to stabilise the uneven surface. Spectator stands also needed full clearing. After a one-hour delay, racing began on a course with unusual snow texture and multiple bumps that challenged competitors' footing.

Puig struggled with stability during his run. Entering the second wall, he missed an inside gate and veered off, ending his participation. Speaking afterwards, he expressed mixed feelings: "It's a discipline I like, but I didn't find the rhythm on a track with heavy snow. They did an incredible job to run the event. I'm a bit sad, but overall, with fifth in downhill, I'm very satisfied. I expected maybe another diploma, but I rate these Games highly. Thanks to everyone."

This slalom was Puig's fifth and final event, marking Andorra's strongest Winter Paralympics showing. His highlights included a fifth-place finish in downhill for a Paralympic diploma—Andorra's best ever, topping Paquita Ramírez's result from Turin 2006—11th in super-G, a non-finish in the super-G leg of the combined (prompting withdrawal), and 15th in giant slalom on Friday.

That giant slalom brought its own chaos: the skier ahead fell, stopping Puig's first run for a restart. A chairlift failure then caused a long wait and quad bike transfer to the top, leading to fatigue and distraction. He placed 16th provisionally after the repeat first leg, then climbed to 15th in the second, meeting team targets.

No official slalom results or full standings have emerged, but Puig's performance cements his rise among top speed specialists and delivers a historic outcome for Andorra amid persistent tough conditions.