Athletes from around the world are in the Italian Alps for the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday – including 13 sportspeople from eight African countries. Though the continent isn't associated with winter sports,

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Fourteen athletes from eight African nations are set to compete at the Winter Olympics, marking a significant increase from Beijing 2022.

Even though the Olympics connect the global village, the Winter Games remain a distant dream for Africa, a continent where snow and ice are hard to find. Winter sports face high barriers from the start.