One of just five South African athletes to compete at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, cross-country skier Matthew Smith's Olympic journey has been anything but typical.

Lance FredericksTHE 2026 WINTER Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy are drawing to a close this weekend after more than two weeks of intense competition across 16 sports and 116 medal events.

Once a racer for Norway, Pinheiro Braathen switched to Brazil, his mother's home country. In winning the Olympic giant slalom on Saturday, he earned South America's first medal at a Winter Games.