CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Nineteen-year-old South African alpine skier Lara Markthaler marked a career-defining moment in memorable fashion, celebrating her birthday by officially becoming an Olympian on Sunday at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games.
"What a way to celebrate my 19th birthday," Markthaler said after completing her run at Tofane Alpine Skiing Center. "It was so amazing to know that once I pushed out that start-gate I am an Olympian. I'm so glad I made it to the finish. I have so many friends here, cheering me on and with a banner."
The young skier, finishing 47th among the 54 competitors who completed the race, described the emotional weight of the experience, from the intensity at the start to the reception at the finish area.
"It was important to go through the finish line and take this experience in. You start with a big camera in your face at the top and then at the bottom there are all these people," she said.
"The conditions are amazing. A lot of rollers, which is something we don't usually train on. I'm so glad I made it down. It's incredible. I am still shaking. Now I need a hot chocolate."
Markthaler also highlighted one unusual feature of the course - a jump into the finish area that caught her attention.
"It was unexpected, well, not unexpected, because I saw it with the others, but usually GS runs don't have any jumps," she explained. "So, this was a little bit different, but I actually felt kind of OK going over. Maybe in second run, I can go a bit faster and I might jump a bit further."
Competing in the same field as Italy's first-run leader Federica Brignone added to the occasion for the South African teenager.
"I know Federica a little bit. I met her a few days ago at a Rossignol photo-shoot," Markthaler said, referring to ski manufacturer Rossignol.
"I got a photo with her. Now I can say I raced alongside her. I saw her at the top. She's so incredible for what she's done in the past year, coming back from a double leg fracture."
Beyond her personal achievement, Markthaler emphasized the broader significance of her Olympic participation for South Africa.
"For me, it's really important to put South Africa on the ski racing map," she said.
"We're only five in the whole South Africa team at this Winter Olympics and it is a historic team for us this year, the biggest team that has ever been sent to the Winter Olympics."
Making history as her nation's first female Olympic alpine skier is an honor she hopes will have lasting impact.
"And for me, being the first female alpine skier at the Olympics for South Africa is a very big honor," Markthaler said.
"I'm glad that I can introduce skiing to South Africans, because we have a ski resort - Tiffindell," she added. "Not a lot of South Africans know about it, but I hope I can maybe even just inspire one young girl to start skiing. That would be a great accomplishment for me."
