Arif Khan bags slalom skiing quota for India in 2026 Winter Olympics

NEW DELHI: Alpine skier Arif Khan secured the quota for India in the slalom skiing event for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, which will be held from February 6 to 22 in Italy.

While Arif secured the quota for India, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is now left to confirm his participation in the marquee Winter sports events to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) in a day’s time, as per Olympics.com.

A total of 306 athletes at maximum can compete in the Winter Olympics in alpine skiing, with each country allowed to field 22 players, 11 men and women’s each. Slalom is one of the five alpine skiing events, with downhill, super G, giant slalom and combined being the other four.

As a criterion for quota at the Winter Olympics, the average of the five best results from July 1 2024, to January 18 this year was considered, and this period witnessed athletes get FIS points and results that counted in their Olympic FIS points list, which was used to decide the athletes getting quotas.

A maximum of 120 FIS points was to be scored in slalom, calculated from the average of their best five scores during the qualification period. Arif had enough points on the board, with nine results under 120 FIS in 2024 and 2025. Seven of these came at Ski Dubai, Mall of the Emirates and two in Romania at Arieseni.

Arif was also notably India’s sole representative in the Winter Olympics 2022, which took place in Beijing, and if he participates, it would be his second appearance at the event. He is a national, South Asia-level champion in alpine skiing and had made the cut for giant slalom as well for Beijing, making him the first Indian to qualify for two direct quotas in two different Winter Olympic events in a single edition.

Arif registered a 45th-place finish in giant slalom, the best result by an Indian at this event in Winter Olympics history and a landmark in its own right, but he did not finish in the men’s slalom event at Beijing 2022.

The men’s races will be organised at Stelvio Ski Centre while alpine skiing events will take place from February 7 to 18. (ANI)