Andorran Skier Joan Verdú Targets Giant Slalom Medal in Fourth Olympics

Andorran skier Joan Verdú will compete today in the men's giant slalom at the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics on the Bormio course, entering his fourth Olympic appearance with bib number 23 among 81 starters.

The 26-year-old arrives after a challenging World Cup season but in positive shape following intensive training in Austria last week—interrupted briefly to serve as Andorra's flagbearer at the opening ceremony—with conditions resembling Bormio's long, demanding track. He reached the venue on Wednesday. The first run starts at 10:00, with the second at 13:30 for those who qualify.

"The sensations are good," Verdú said. "These last few weeks, we've trained really hard to polish the details and arrive prepared for the race." He described the course as unfamiliar to most giant slalom racers, noting its steep initial wall, extended flat section, and need to push until the finish. On his mindset, he added: "The expectations are to give absolutely everything. I have little to lose and much to gain, with a lot of excitement and pride in the work done to reach this event in good condition."

Verdú holds Andorra's best Winter Olympics result, placing ninth in the Beijing 2022 giant slalom—0.03 seconds shy of a diploma—with a third-fastest second-run time of 1:04.48, 1.93 seconds behind Switzerland's Marco Odermatt. He also raced in Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018, finishing 22nd in super-G at Beijing.