Kouyoumdjian survives treacherous conditions to finish 34th in slalom

Yiannos Kouyoumdjian finished 34th overall in the men’s slalom at the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics on Monday, completing both runs in one of the most demanding alpine events of the programme at the Stelvio ski centre in Bormio.

The Cypriot skier recorded a combined time of 1:08.58, improving his overall position after a solid second run that allowed him to climb the standings.

Kouyoumdjian had finished the first run in 39th place with a time of 1:10.88, safely negotiating a course that proved unforgiving for much of the field.

Only 46 of the 96 athletes who started the race managed to complete the opening run, underlining the level of difficulty as snowfall and poor visibility contributed to a high number of early exits.

Kouyoumdjian’s completion of both runs marked a measured and disciplined performance, particularly in contrast to the attrition elsewhere on the course.

His second descent was cleaner and more assertive, allowing him to gain ground and secure a mid-table finish in a field that included many of the world’s leading athletes.

For Kouyoumdjian, the slalom result represents an improvement on his previous Olympic appearance in Beijing, where he did not complete the first run of the same discipline.

On Saturday in Italy, he had finished 64th in the giant slalom, making the slalom his strongest showing of the Games.

Cyprus’ alpine skiing campaign at Milano–Cortina 2026 is set to conclude later this week, with Andrea Loizidou scheduled to compete in the women’s slalom on Wednesday in Cortina.