Estonian Olympic Hopes Pivot to Biathlon and Skating
Estonia's Winter Olympic team faced early setbacks at the Milano Cortina games as its cross-country and freestyle skiers failed to advance from qualifications, shifting national focus to the men's 20 km individual biathlon and Aleksandr Selevko's figure skating program.
- —Estonian biathletes Rene Zahkna, Kristo Siimer, Jakob Kulbin, and Mark-Markos Kehva are set to compete in the men's 20 km individual event at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
- —Freestyle skier Henry Sildaru did not qualify for the finals of the men's slopestyle event, finishing 21st in the qualification round.
- —Figure skater Aleksandr Selevko will perform his short program in the men's singles event, marking his second Olympic appearance.
- —Estonian cross-country skiers Mariel Merlii Pulles, Teesi Tuul, and Teiloora Ojaste did not advance from the women's classic sprint qualification, while Martin Himma and Karl Sebastian Dremljuga also failed to qualify in the men's classic sprint.
- —Nordic combined athlete Kristjan Ilves has shown strong form in training, achieving top results in practice jumps leading up to his competition.
Recap
Early eliminations in skiing have concentrated pressure on Estonia's biathlon and figure skating teams to secure positive results at the Milano Cortina Olympics. The day's outcomes serve as a clear barometer for the team's campaign, with the performance of the four-man biathlon squad and skater Aleksandr Selevko now critical. Strong training results from Nordic combined athlete Kristjan Ilves offer a potential bright spot, but the immediate challenge is to convert potential into performance in the ongoing events.