Biathlon - Biathlon World Cup - Nove Mesto na Morave, Czech Republic - January 23, 2026 Greenland's Ukaleq Astri Slettemark in action during the Women's 12.5km Short Individual REUTERS/David W Cerny
Jan 31 (Reuters) - After a whirlwind few weeks, the brother-and-sister biathlon team of Sondre and Ukaleq Slettemark have put politics aside to focus on making Greenland proud at the Milano Cortina Olympics.
The pair have received an enormous amount of media attention after criticising U.S. President Donald Trump for his desire to take over Greenland, but now they want to focus on showing the best side of their nation at the Olympics.
They will represent the Commonwealth of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands at the Games, which start on February 6.
"I think we're both very proud to show that Greenland and Denmark are standing strong together," Ukaleq, 24, told Reuters.
"I agree - normally, we race just for Greenland with our own side, but now in the Olympics, it's going to be under the Danish flag," Sondre, who is three years younger, added.
The two spoke to Reuters over Zoom from their training base in Obertilliach, Austria, not far from where the biathlon competitions at the Games will take place in northern Italy.
They appear to have taken being thrust into the limelight in their stride, pivoting from talking about politics to proclaiming their pride in their country and the support they feel from its people.
"People in Greenland are really proud and they follow us, and we always get a lot of people who congratulate us when we're at home and, yeah, people are really supportive," Ukaleq said.
"I think we don't have that many people who compete and represent the flag on an international stage," Sondre added.
"There's a lot of people who do sports, but most of them do it mainly in Greenland so, at least for me, I feel very proud that I can bring the flag also out to an international stage in the World Cup, in the World Championships.
"I think people in Greenland feel this as well, that they are very proud that the flag is represented internationally."
BIATHLON FAMILY
With the country's biathlon federation set up by their mother Uiloq and with their Norwegian father Oystein also heavily involved, the family dominate the sport in Greenland.
However, the lack of an Olympic committee they have to compete as part of the Denmark team.
While Trump's statements about Greenland have kept the country in the headlines, the Slettemarks are happy to move the conversation onto the subject of national identity.
Theirstrong ties to Norway and competing for Denmark naturally bring up questions about how the pair see themselves.
"I think I feel a very strong connection to Greenland, and I think that's quite common when you come from Greenland, because traditions are so strong and like the cultural heritage we have is so strong," Ukaleq explained.
"Of course I love Norway and, I mean, I speak Norwegian, I live there and I also have a lot of family in Norway, but I think that the cultural connection I have is maybe stronger to Greenland," she said, with Sondre nodding beside her.
Geopolitics aside, the siblings want to let their performances in a highly competitive field do the talking when the biathlon competitions get under way at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena on February 8.
"We had a lot of questions if we should do something political, and the strongest message we can send is that we race for Greenland and we race for Denmark," Ukaleq said.
"Yeah, and we stand hand-in-hand with Denmark in these Olympics," Sondre added.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
