Rabat – Moroccan Samir Azzimani, also known as Couscous Rocket, has carried the Moroccan flag during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games, which is currently taking place in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The competition is marked by the participation of three Moroccans, who are representing the North African country at different levels.
The 40-year old Azzimani will represent Morocco in Men’s Cross Country Skiing. The athlete was the only Moroccan to represent Morocco in 2010’s Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. The 40-year old Moroccan-French skier has also participated in the 2015 Nordic Ski World Championships in Falun, Sweden.
According to African news outlet Africa Times, Azzimani hopes to inspire a new generation of Moroccan winter sport athletes
Adam Lamhamedi along with his brother Sami were also qualified for the 2018 competition.
Sami will replace/ assist his brother during competition in case of an injury.
The alpine skier, Adam, is already an Olympic Champion. The 22-year old Moroccan-Canadian athlete has won more than 51 medals, including 22 at senior level. The medals he reaped were mostly in the Eastern Canadian University Championship.
Born to a Moroccan father and a Canadian mother, Adam has chosen to represent his father’s country in 2011 in both local and international competitions.
Adam was the gold medalist in the first boy-s super-G competition in the Winter Youth Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2010. Back then, he was the first Moroccan ever to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games. The champion also ranked first in Canada’s Giant Slalom and second slalom during the same year.
