Philippines Continues Winter Olympic Streak in Milan-Cortina 2026

The Philippines is currently competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Running from 6 to 22 February 2026, this event marks the country's fourth consecutive appearance since the 2014 Sochi Games. This is the seventh time the nation has appeared in the Winter Games since its debut in 1972.

The Philippine Ski and Snowboard Federation (PSSF) sent two alpine skiers to Italy: Francis Ceccarelli and Tallulah Proulx. PSSF President Jim Apelar serves as the chef de mission for the small but historic delegation.

Photo Credit: Sen. Cayetano's FB Page

Historic Firsts on the Slopes

Tallulah Proulx has already made a name for herself as the first female athlete to represent the Philippines at the Winter Olympics. At 17 years old, she is also the youngest Filipino winter Olympian, being roughly a month younger than former Olympian Asa Miller was during his 1918 debut.

At the opening ceremony, the team shared the spotlight in two locations. Ceccarelli served as the flag bearer in Valtellina while Proulx carried the flag in Cortina.

Competition Results and Performance

The two skiers focused on the giant slalom and slalom events. Both athletes managed to record times in their giant slalom runs, showing steady improvement between their first and second attempts.

Athlete Performance Table

Athlete	Event	Run 1 Time	Run 2 Time	Total Time	Rank
Francis Ceccarelli	Men's Giant Slalom	1:27.36	1:20.87	2:48.83	54th
Tallulah Proulx	Women's Giant Slalom	1:11:15	1:24.47	2:41.62	52nd
Francis Ceccarelli	Men's Slalom	DNF	N/A	N/A	N/A
Tallulah Proulx	Women's Slalom	DNF	N/A	N/A	N/A

Ceccarelli, who was born in Quezon City and raised in Tuscany, trained at the Stelvio Ski Center to prepare for the games. In the giant slalom, he placed 54th out of 69 skiers who finished both runs. However, heavy snowfall during the men’s slalom on 16 February caused 51 skiers, including Ceccarelli, to fail to finish their first run.

Proulx, who is based in the United States, finished 52nd in the women's giant slalom at the Olimpia delle Tofane. She qualified for the games in January 2026 and prepared with local teams at Val di Fassa.

Looking Forward to the Future

The Philippine curling team almost joined the skiers in Italy. They won the Pre-Olympic Qualification Event but fell just short of the top two spots in the final Olympic Qualification Event.

While there are no current expectations for a medal in these games, officials are optimistic. PSSF President Apelar hopes these two skiers will inspire more Filipinos in the diaspora to win medals in the future. 

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham Tolentino noted that the country’s three gold medals in the recent Summer Olympics prove that winning on the world stage is possible, even for a tropical nation.

The Long Road from 1972

The Philippines holds the distinction of being the first truly tropical nation to compete in the Winter Olympics. This started in 1972 in Sapporo, Japan, with cousins Ben Nañasca and Juan Cipriano. After a long break, the country returned in 1988 and has seen a steady rise in participation since 2014, led by athletes like figure skater Michael Christian Martinez and skier Asa Miller.