Andorran Paralympian Roger Puig Climbs to 15th in Giant Slalom

Andorran Paralympic skier Roger Puig finished 15th in the LW9-2 giant slalom at the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games, climbing one spot after a strong second run in a race disrupted by incidents and worsening snow conditions.

Starting with bib number 41 in 22nd position, Puig faced challenges in the first run. The skier ahead of him fell, halting the race and forcing Puig to repeat his descent after a lift malfunction required him to return to the start on a quad, leading to fatigue and distraction. He posted 1:12.25 or 1:12.26, landing provisionally 16th, 8.18 seconds behind French leader Arthur Bauchet's 1:04.07, while conceding roughly two seconds per sector.

Adjusting his line and taking more risks, Puig delivered his fastest time of the day in the second run at 1:11.50. His combined total of 2:23.75 placed him 15.99 seconds off the pace, securing 15th overall.

Bauchet won gold in 2:07.76, ahead of Switzerland's Robin Cuche in silver (2:09.72) and Russia's Alexey Bugaev in bronze (2:11.14).

Although Puig prioritised speed events—where he claimed a Paralympic diploma with fifth in downhill, 11th in super-G, and a DNF in alpine combined after a super-G mistake—this marked his penultimate race. He wraps up his campaign on Sunday with slalom.