Despite not hitting the leaderboard as of yet, Iceland’s team in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics is still battling on, marking sixty-six years of the country’s participation in the games.
The 2014 Icelandic team consists of five athletes in two sports, as well as eleven officials. For the first time since 1994, Iceland will be competing in cross-country skiing.
The 2014 team consists of Brynjar Jökull Guðmundsson, Men’s Slalom and Men’s Giant Slalom; Einar Kristgeirsson, Men’s Slalom and Men’s Giant Slalom; María Guðmundsdóttir, Women’s Slalom and Women’s Giant Slalom; Helga María Vilhjálmsdóttir, Women’s Slalom, Women’s Giant Slalom and Women’s Super-G; and Sævar Birgisson, Men’s 15 kilometre Cross-Country.
Sævar Birgisson comments regarding his country’s participation, “Many think that because our country’s name is Iceland, it is a country of snow and ice, but it isn’t. Iceland has never won a medal in the Winter Olympics…my goal is to be in the top 50 in the cross country sprint.”
Unfortunately, Sævar Birgisson was knocked out of the competition, ranking 75th place.
Valitor, the Iceland-based acquiring and issuing services provider, is a proud sponsor of The National Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland, and the Icelandic participants at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics – Valitor wishes the team all the best in their events.
Image: mbl.is/afp