Timor-Leste at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Sporting event delegation
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Timor-Leste competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia, from 7 to 23 February 2014. It was the country's first appearance at the Winter Olympics. The Timorese delegation consisted of one male alpine skier, Yohan Goutt Gonçalves. He was Timor-Leste's flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies. Goutt Gonçalves did not secure a medal in his Olympic debut.
| Timor-Leste at the 2014 Winter Olympics | |
|---|---|
| |
| IOC code | TLS |
| NOC | National Olympic Committee of Timor-Leste |
| in Sochi, Russia 7–23 February 2014 | |
| Competitors | 1 in 1 sport |
| Flag bearer (opening) | Yohan Goutt Gonçalves |
| Flag bearer (closing) | Yohan Goutt Gonçalves |
| Medals |
|
| Winter Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Background
Timor-Leste, a tropical nation, had never sent a delegation to the Winter Olympics prior to the 2014 Games.[1][2][3][4] The country made its official debut in the Summer Olympics at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece.[5]
Goutt Gonçalves, Timor-Leste's sole representative, was born in Paris to a French father and a Timorese mother.[3][6][7] When asked in an interview why he never tried to make the France alpine skiing team, Goutte Gonçalves replied: "It never crossed my mind, because [representing Timor-Leste is] a way of not losing the connection with my country. I have Timorese blood ... and I want to keep that connection."[7] He also commented that he wanted to shine "some positive light" on Timor-Leste.[7]
At a 29 December 2013 race in Serbia, Goutt Gonçalves managed to lower his International Ski Federation point total to below 140 (B standard), qualifying him for the Games.[1][8] This made him the first athlete from Timor-Leste at any Olympic Games to qualify by meeting the qualification standard, rather than by receiving a wild card, which Goutt Gonçalves had outright refused.[2] To compete at the Games, Goutt Gonçalves had to raise US$75,000, most of which came from himself and his family.[7] As the sole Timorese competitor, Goutt Gonçalves was selected as his country's flag bearer at both the opening and closing ceremonies.[9][10]
Alpine skiing
According to the final quota allocation for alpine skiing released on 20 January 2014, Timor-Leste had one athlete who qualified for the event (Goutt Gonçalves).[11] Goutt Gonçalves was 19 years old at the time of his Olympic debut.[12] He competed in the men's slalom on 22 February. He placed 77th in the first run with a time of 1 minute and 9.01 seconds; in the second run, he placed 43rd with a time of 1 minute and 21.88 seconds. Overall, he finished 43rd out of the 43 competitors who completed the race, with a total time of 2 minutes and 30.89 seconds.[13]
| Athlete | Event | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Yohan Goutt Gonçalves | Men's slalom | 1:09.01 | 77 | 1:21.88 | 43 | 2:30.89 | 43 |
