Chang Marks Historic Finish in Olympic Slalom for Taiwan

Milano cortina: Troy Samuel Chang became the first Taiwanese athlete in nearly 40 years to successfully complete the Olympic alpine skiing men's slalom event, securing a 36th-place finish at the Winter Olympics in Italy on Monday. Competing in Milano Cortina, the 20-year-old skier completed his two runs with a combined time of 2 minutes 22.85 seconds. According to Focus Taiwan, the last time a male skier from Taiwan completed the Olympic slalom event was in 1988, when Chen Tong-jong finished 48th in Calgary, Canada. Chang's achievement comes amidst challenging conditions; heavy snowfall during the first run resulted in difficult course conditions, with 57 of the 96 competitors unable to finish. Chang managed to record a time of 1:11.56 on his first run and improved to 1:11.29 on his second. He admitted feeling nervous after witnessing many skiers struggle, but found relief when the snowfall lessened. "It was really exhausting, but I knew I had to hang on," Chang said. Expressing gratitude, Chang mentioned that his performance was a way to give back to his family for their unwavering support. He also expressed pride in his perseverance with the sport since childhood, marking his participation as a significant milestone for Taiwan in the Winter Olympics.