Milano–Cortina Olympics: First Croatian Athletes Compete

Day four of the Olympic Games in Milano–Cortina saw the first Croatian athletes take to the field of play.

In cross-country skiing, Tena Hadžić and Ema Sobol failed to qualify for the women’s sprint classic, finishing 66th and 75th, respectively. In the men’s event, Marko Skender placed 61st.

“It wasn’t perfect, but it also wasn’t a bad start,” Hadžić said. “I had some trouble in the second part of the course. I was very happy with the first part, but the second was a bit worse—especially on the last hill, when I started to get tired and my technique broke down.”

“These are my second Olympic Games, and I’m happy with my performance,” Skender said. “It was solid—maybe not my best race, but pretty good.”

In biathlon, Matija Legović and Krešimir Crnković finished 72nd and 76th, respectively, in the men’s 20-kilometer individual race.

Croatia’s Olympic flag bearer, Valentina Aščić, also competed on Thursday in the 500-meter speed skating event. She faced a strong heat, finishing third and missing qualification by 1.3 seconds. Aščić will compete next on Saturday evening in the 1,000-meter event.