Benjamin Alexander: Jamaica’s first Olympic skier fulfils ‘crazy dream’ with giant slalom run at Beijing 2022

There were 35 DNFs in the first run of the men’s giant slalom, but Jamaica’s first-ever alpine skier at an Olympic Games was not among them. “Fricking hell, that was hard,” declared DJ-turned-skier Benjamin Alexander, who finished the ‘Ice River’ course in 1:37.94, more than 30 seconds behind leader and pre-event favourite Marco Odermatt.

Ad/> Alexander, who grew up in Northamptonshire, may have placed bottom of the pile for skiers who completed the first run at the Yanqing National Alpine Ski Centre – his placing in 54th was 15 seconds behind India’s Arif Mohd Khan in 53rd – but the sizeable number of DNFs outlined how difficult the conditions were. Beijing 2022‘I don't believe the race is fair’ – GS finale delayed after blizzard-hit first run3 HOURS AGO A heavy blizzard wreaked havoc on Sunday, with the women’s freeski slopestyle postponed, but the men’s giant slalom persisted despite low visibility.

That made for a treacherous run, and unsurprisingly claimed dozens of DNFs, but in finishing the race Alexander — who achieved the minimum qualifying criteria at an event in Liechtenstein — was able to fulfil a “crazy dream”. “I set out with a crazy plan, which seemed crazy to most but I broke it down and I thought it was totally achievable.

What was crazy is trying to execute this plan under the duress of the pandemic,” Alexander told Eurosport in January. Jamaica’s first Olympic skier Alexander already thinking about ‘next outlandish thing to do’ Alexander set to be first Jamaican Olympic alpine skier after qualifying for Beijing 2022 “It’s the realisation of a crazy dream come true.