Ikpefan finishes 65th in Winter Olympics sprint classic
Samuel Ikpefan represented Nigeria as its only athlete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing 65th in the men’s sprint classic qualification. He posted a time of 3:33.31 but did not advance to the next round. This marks his second consecutive Winter Olympics appearance for Nigeria. Ikpefan continues to make history as the first Nigerian to compete twice at the Winter Games.
Match highlights
- Samuel Ikpefan finished 65th in the men’s sprint classic qualification at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
- He posted a time of 3:33.31, ending 25.94 seconds behind the fastest qualifier and earning 166.13 FIS points.
- Only the top 30 athletes advanced to the quarter-finals, meaning Ikpefan did not progress further.
- Ikpefan previously competed at Beijing 2022, where he placed 73rd in the men’s sprint free and withdrew from the 15km classic due to Covid-19 complications.
- Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won gold in the event, marking his seventh Olympic gold medal.
