South Africa’s Winter Olympics campaign fizzles to a close

South Africa’s lone representative at the Winter Olympics, alpine skier Connor Wilson, will return home without a result after he failed to complete his opening slalom run in Pyeongchang on Thursday.

The 21-year-old athlete, based in Joburg, had bombed out of the giant slalom event last week, and with his latest performance crashing to a halt, his Games came to a close.

Wilson was the first South African to compete at the winter showpiece in eight years after fellow downhill skier Sive Speelman was snubbed by selectors ahead of the 2014 Games in Sochi.

Speelman was offered some consolation for the latest edition of the multi-sport spectacle, travelling with Wilson as part of the management team.

Swedish skier Andre Myhrer won gold in the slalom event ahead of Switzerland’s Ramon Zenhausern, with Austrian Michael Matt taking the bronze medal.

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