South Africa at the 2026 Winter Olympics

South Africa will compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from 6 to 22 February 2026. If the country participates, it will be its first participation in the Winter Olympics since 2018.

Watch it live on youtube.com/watch?v=zbGANkaRvJI&fbclid=IwY2xjawP5IfdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeFEBb8Ox1iNc4PuYTrC9NFfBXXo4MQJ-oj3YzK9NCm2_rK55rR6IOq2VLurc_aem_LSBXe2AVMcZIXm2_mGd8ow

Competitors

The following is the list of number of competitors participating at the Games per sport/discipline.

Sport	Men	Women	Total
Alpine skiing	1	1	2
Cross-country skiing	1	0	1
Freestyle skiing	0	1	1
Skeleton	0	1	1
Total	2	3	5

TEAM SA SQUAD FOR 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS

Men: Thomas Weir (slalom & giant slalom), Matthew Smith (cross-country)

Women: Lara Markthaler (slalom & giant slalom), Malica Malherbe (freestyle skiing), Nicole Burger (skeleton)

Coaches: Robert Weir (slalom & giant slalom), Christian Markthaler (slalom & giant slalom), Ole Ensrud (cross-country), Rhys Thornbury (skeleton)

Alpine skiing

Main articles: Alpine skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Alpine skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics – Qualification

South Africa qualified one female and one male alpine skier through the basic quota.^[2][3]

Athlete	Event	Run 1		Run 2		Total
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Thomas Weir	Men's giant slalom
	Men's slalom
Lara Markthaler	Women's giant slalom
	Women's slalom

Cross-country skiing

Main articles: Cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics – Qualification

South Africa qualified one male cross-country skier through the basic quota.^[4] 34-year-old Matt Smith qualified to represent the country in the sport.^[5] Smith had only taken up the sport two years ago after moving from South Africa to Norway.^[6] This will mark the country's first participation in the sport in 16 years, after last competing at the 2010 Winter Olympics.^[7]

Athlete	Event	Final
		Time	Deficit	Rank
Matthew Smith	Men's 10 km freestyle

Freestyle skiing

Main articles: Freestyle skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Freestyle skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics – Qualification

South Africa qualified a female athlete in moguls and dual moguls through the World Cup and 2025 World Championship event.^[8]

Moguls

Athlete	Event	Qualification								Final
		Run 1				Run 2				Run 1				Run 2			Rank
		Time	Points	Total	Rank	Time	Points	Total	Rank	Time	Points	Total	Rank	Time	Points	Total
Malica Malherbe	Women's moguls	30.39	43.58	55.85	25	30.05	46.19	58.86	17	Did not advance

Dual moguls

Athlete	Event	Seeding				Quarterfinal	Semifinal	Final
		Time	Score	Total	Rank	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Malica Malherbe	Women's dual moguls

Skeleton

Main articles: Skeleton at the 2026 Winter Olympics and Skeleton at the 2026 Winter Olympics – Qualification

South Africa qualified a single female skeleton racer, securing one quota spot based on the IBSF Ranking List for the 2025–26 season.^[9]

Athlete	Event	Run 1		Run 2		Run 3		Run 4		Total
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Nicole Burger	Women's

References

1.  Lemke, Gary (4 February 2026). "Smith, Burger to carry flag at opening ceremony". TeamSA. South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
2.  "Alpine Skiing quotas list for Olympic Winter Games 2026". International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Retrieved 28 December 2025.
3.  Isaacson, David (16 March 2025). "Rising ski star Lara wants to put South Africa on winter sport map". Sunday Times. Johannesburg, South Africa: Arena Holdings. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
4.  "Cross-Country quotas list for Olympic Winter Games 2026". International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Retrieved 28 December 2025.
5.  "South African skier qualifies for 2026 Winter Olympics". www.dailyfriend.co.za/. Johannesburg, South Africa: Daily Friend. 5 April 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
6.  "How South Africa's 'Snowbok' booked Winter Olympics spot". BBC News. London, England. 1 April 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
7.  "Matt Smith becomes South Africa's first winter Olympian in years". Africa News. 18 November 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
8.  "Freestyle Moguls & Dual Moguls quotas list for Olympic Winter Games 2026". International Ski Federation (FIS). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
9.  "Quota Allocation – Women's Bobsleigh". International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF). January 2026. Retrieved 27 January 2026.

Getting the dreamers together.

Decision makers.

Back in 1985 a number of dreamers banded together to do for gaming what was being done for other accredited sports.

It was a dream, and back then there were detractors who fiercely believed that gaming would never be treated as a sport in South Africa. It should be remembered that chess was not considered to be a sport in those days.

Through hard-work, and sheer bloodymindedness, officials of what was to become Mind Sports South Africa hounded the then Springbok Colours Board and the South African National Olympic Committee.

Eventually persistence paid off and MSSA (as the South African Wargames Union, as it was then named) was accepted as an official national federation in 1991.

Today, there are still the dreams about which the volunteer administrators are still passionate.

The dream of official accreditation may have been achieved, but there are so many, many, more dreams. Dreams like getting gaming into the Olympics, dreams of increasing South Africa’s participation at international events, dreams of improving South Africa’s standard of play, dreams of ensuring increased funding for gaming, and so many others.

However, dreams are nothing without hard work and the coming together of like-minded individuals.

MSSA, and its affiliates, are the only bodies in South Africa that truly have the interests of the gamer at heart. MSSA does not look at the balance sheet, it looks at the long-term goals, and the expected outcomes that will propel gaming forward.

All those who dare to dream in a better gaming future in South Africa should affiliate and be part of the solution.

For more information on how to affiliate to Mind Sports South Africa, please e-mail mindsportssa@iafrica.com.

Getting to your own ‘Olympics’.

Without doubt Alasdair Donaldson is  at the top of his game for Tekken 7.

Currently there is a large amount of speculation about esports becoming an official sporting code at the Olympics.

Personally I think that such a move would be good for both esports and the Olympics, but that is not what this article is about.

This article is about the dedication that athletes need to have to get to the top. The Olympics represents all that is good about sport and the very highest levels of sporting prowess and sportsmanship.

In my opinion, to get to the Olympics, or to the top of any field, a person has to be absolutely single-minded. Parties, family gatherings, and other social occasions are attended only when they fit into the schedule of the athlete. Thus even birthdays and made-up holidays take second place o the training and competition schedules of the athlete who is dedicated to get to the top.

Work comes first, pleasure after!

Thus, to truly get to the top of any field, the person must make huge personal sacrifices in order to reach excellence. No worthwhile achievement is attained without an incredible amount of sacrifice and personal self-investment.

Japan accepted as member of IeSF

Photo from left: Akihito Furusawa (Auditor, JPeF), Nobuyuki Umezaki (JPeF, Director), Alex Lim (Secretary General, IeSF), Yoshio Urushibara (Acting President, Federation of Diet Members from Online Game), Byung Hun Jun (President, IeSF), Jin Matsubara (Executive Director, Federation of Diet Members from Online Game), Fumio Suzuku (JPeF, Director), Yoshihito Mizunaga (Advisor, JPeF), Hiromi Mizunaga (Manager, JPeF)

On 1 November 2016, Japan Pro e-Sports Federation (JPeF) took its first step to vitalizing its domestic e-Sports market by getting approval to be affiliated into International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) as the representing National Federation for e-Sports in Japan. JPeF was established on 18 March 2016 and aims to invigorate e-Sports culture in Japan by, as the main focus, enhance the welfare of currently active e-Sports athletes.

JPeF’s membership approval process was accompanied by President. Jun’s visit to Japan during September this year. Hosted by JPeF, the meeting involved Mr Yoshio Urushibara (President) and Jin Matsubara (Executive Director) of the Federation of Diet Members for Online Game (an organization composed of 56 congressmen) and officials of both IeSF and JPeF. The meeting’s agenda included discussions on the direction needed to reinforce the momentum of Japanese e-Sports.

All parties agreed that Japan has an enormous and advanced gaming market in which e-Sports can flourish. The three parties involved in the meeting agreed to join its forces to reinforce the e-Sports foundation in Japan and to broaden the spectrum to develop the structure of e-Sports in the future. Moreover, the organizations agreed to work as a triad, to voice for e-Sports to be recognized as an official sports in Japan, and also look for potential opportunities for e-Sports to be engaged with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

JPeF has already a history of expanding and forming the e-Sports foundation in Japan by supporting e-sports players in obtaining a “Sport Athlete VISA” within the territory of Japan. To obtain a Sport Athlete VISA is a colossal step, for it shows the willingness for the Japanese community to perceive e-Sports as a true sport, and also secures the welfare of international players in the Japan. IeSF will be supporting JPeF with necessary resources to be connected in the global e-Sports industry, and looks forward to open a new chapter in the e-Sports history of Japan. 

Does pride, not money, spur growth in esports?

MSSA's 2015 Protea eSports Team

As prize money for esports (or egames) continues to rise,  the question of whether it is pride or prize-money that is king in the growth of the game becomes more and more pertinent.

However, this is not a problem that  only affects esports.

Indeed, all sports have  been through this - even the Olympics.

When the Olympic  movement started, there were those who wanted professionals to compete in such games.

However, it was the will of those who only wanted amateurs to compete that  held sway.

Only after the retirement of IOC President Avery Brundage in 1972, were the Olympic amateurism rules steadily relaxed, until being completely abandoned in the 1990s.

Even in the 2016 Summer Olympics, professional boxers were allowed to compete in boxing, though amateur fight rules are still used for the tournament.

As far as I recall the last amateur team to participate in the FIFA World Cup was in Argentina in1978.

Thus the fight between pride and money is indeed a long one, and is as old as the concept  of organised sport itself.

Thus while some seemingly good-hearted individuals  want to see egames move towards only being pride, I feel that such a move is totally misguided.

IeSF also fully understands where eSports has been, and where it is going. As a result IeSF skillfully combines the best of both pride and money to create a sustainable future.   

One cannot turn back the clock, and all sporting bodies have to move forward, and stay in line with the societies that they represent. There has to be a compromise between pride and money as it is extremely difficult for amateurs to deliver the same results as those produced by professionals.

Even the Olympic movement knows that!

Anticipation of changes

It is well known that there are a number of changes happening in eSports. IeSF's Global Summit as sponsored by WCA hinted at the massive changes that esports is undergoing.

Just to get into the IOC require huge structural changes. Such changes include greater gender equality, and even greater good governance (at all levels).

IeSF and all its members, being committed to the vision of getting esports into the Olympics is quickly improving on its existing structures and has already implemented an Athlete's Commission, and has started processes for welfare, education, drug testing, equity, discipline, and the such.

However, at such a tumultuous time, both IeSF and MSSA are in the throws of elections.

Such elections could see very different Management Boards returned with new faces and new visions which may, or not, be in line with the current vision.

That is the price that you day for democracy and the rule of law. No matter the state of development, the rule  of law comes first - there are no sacred cows!

The excitement is palpable as nominations of candidates roll in.

Just who will be on the new committees?

As Jace Naidoo prepares to leave the Presidency of Swimming South Africa

Jace Naidoo - President of Swimming South Africa

And so it seems as though the South African Sports Community will be saying goodbye to Jace Naidoo as President of Swimming South Africa.

Why?

Well, SASCOC has a clause in its Constitution (10.2.2) that does not allow ANY federation to allow Board Members to hold the same office for more than twelve (12) years.

As we all know, Jace was  elected into office in 2004.

Thus his 12 years of being president are up.

Of course this does not stop him from assuming a different position.

However, it is hard to go when you are on top, and just after the Rio Olympics too...

Certainly, the Jace I know, the Jace of high stature, impeccable ethics, solid moral grounding,  and virtue, will always comply to the rules - not like some other President's of sporting codes.

It will be interesting to  see the list of the candidates for the position at this year's AGM.