RIYADH — Saudi Arabia’s lone candidate at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Fayik Abdi is all set to make his debut at the Games on Feb.13 in the giant slalom event.

Abdi, who is representing Saudi Arabia for the first time in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, has completed his preparation for a historic participation in the Alpine Skiing competition on Sunday.

Abdi will compete in the Giant Slalom ski competition, which kicks off at 5 a.m. local time, and is the first Saudi and Gulf athlete to participate in the Winter Olympics since its inception in 1924.

He qualified for the Olympics in December, after achieving an average of 131.03 points over five of his best-scored races, a record time.

Since his arrival in Beijing on Feb. 3, the Saudi skier has continued his training regularly, led by his coaches Patrice Lucas and Daniel Sanz, in preparation for the competition, a statement on Saudi Press Agency said on Friday.

Abdi is expected to gain new Olympic experience that will contribute to building a different future for winter sports in the Kingdom. — SG