Kenya's Simader upbeat at world skiing contest 

Kenya’s history-making Sabrina Wanjiku Simader hopes for better results in Downhill contest on Saturday after finishing 31st in Super G event at the ongoing FIS Alpine World Ski Championships at Roc de Fer, Meribel, France.

The 24-year-old Simader clocked 34 minutes and 38 seconds, beating six other skiers who failed to finish as Italian Marta Bassino won in 1:28:06 in the event held Wednesday.

Mikaela Shiffrin from United States of America settled for silver in 1:28:17 with Cornelia Hutter going for bronze, 34 seconds off the pace.

Simader fondly known as the “Snow Leopard” owing to her leopard-spotted attire was the only African in the contest.

“It was not my best run honestly but I will try to push my downhill race in Saturday…see you then,” said Simader, who is the only Kenyan skier in the championships that has 13 events. 

This is a qualification pathway offering the athletes important ranking points towards the
Winter Olympic Games 2026, in which Sabrina has qualified twice, in 2018 and in 2022.

This is Simader’s third appearance at Ski Championships after participating in 2017 where she featured in the Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super G events.

Simader, who is a United Nations Environment Ambassador, won the "African European Sports Woman of the Year" in 2017 and 2019, and was pictured in the African Forbes “30 under 30.”

Simader is the first Kenyan woman to participate the Winter Olympics, having taken part at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games but missed out on the 2022 Winter Games.

Her participation in the world event in France places her on the pathway for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Kenya has taken part in four editions of the Winter Olympic Games (1998, 2002, 2006 and 2018).

From 1998 until 2006, their sole representative was cross-country skier Philip Boit.