Cyprus will be represented in the 24th Winter Olympic Games that will take place in Beijing on February 4 – 20, 2022, by 25 year old alpine skier Yiannos Kouyoumdjian.

Kouyoumdjian will compete in the slalom and the giant slalom. Vice President of the Cypriot Olympic Committee, Panagiotis Ioannides, will head the Cypriot delegation that will also comprise the General Secretary of the Committee, Andreas Georgiou, ski coach Milan Matic and Andreas Eleftheriou.

The mission was presented during a press conference that took place on Tuesday at the Olympic Hall, in Nicosia.

Cyprus Olympic Committee General Secretary congratulated Kouyoumdjian for having qualified to participate in the Games and expressed the belief that despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, China will organize them with great success.

The Cypriot mission will leave for Beijing on February 2. The Committee`s Vice President noted that this is Cyprus` 12th participation in the Winter Olympic Games since 1980.

The Ambassador of China to Cyprus, Liu Yantao, said that “we are happy to see that the team of Cyprus once again will compete among the best winter sports athletes in the world after your incredible success at the Beijing Summer Olympics back in 2008, making 2022 the living proof that hard work pays off and that unity makes miracles.”

He noted that “Beijing is now ready to welcome more than 2,800 athletes as well as thousands of team officials and stakeholders from across the world. China is doing its best to deliver Winter Olympic Games that are simple, safe and splendid,” he added.

He thanked Cyprus for firmly supporting the Beijing 2022 Games and for adopting the Beijing 2022 Olympic Truce resolution.

“We look forward to having the best winter sports athletes all around the world without any discrimination whatsoever, engaging peacefully and in a fair competition,” the Ambassador stressed and expressed hope that Beijing Winter Olympics will also bring about substantial progress in the bilateral sports exchange and cooperation between China and Cyprus.

President of the Cyprus Ski Federation & Club, Dinos Lefkaritis, referred to Cyprus` course throughout the history of the Winter Olympic Games and thanked China and its Ambassador for their hospitality.

Skier Yiannos Kouyoumdjian said that he will do his best at the Games, noting at the same time that he feels safe that he will go to Beijing where measures against the pandemic are taken.

The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) will broadcast the Games in Cyprus.