Raised in France, Richardson Viano, 19, is the sole representative of Haiti at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Hosted by Beijing, China, the international winter multisport event will be held from February 4-20, 2022.

Born in Haiti, Viano lived in an orphanage for one year and six months. In December 2005, French-Italian couple Andrea Viano and Silvia Grosso-Viano adopted him and two girls from the same orphanage namely Bellandine Viano and Natacha Viano.

Andrea, a ski instructor and guide, introduced Richardson to skiing. By 2018, Richardson felt like making it to the French ski team was unlikely so he considered giving up the sport.

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But in 2019, Richardson’s passion for skiing was reignited as he accepted an offer from Haitian Ski Federation president Jean-Pierre Roy, 58, to represent Haiti at the World Championships. The teenager went on to finish 35th in the giant slalom at the 2021 World Championships in Cortina, Italy.

On February 13, 2022, Richardson will compete in men’s alpine skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics, making him the first athlete to represent Haiti in the Winter Olympics. The first run will be at 10:15 followed by the second run at 13:45 both Beijing time.

In July 2015, Beijing was elected as the host city of the 2022 Winter Olympics at the 128th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This marks the first time the Winter Olympics is held in China.

Including Richardson, a total of 2,871 athletes from 91 countries and territories will compete in 109 events in seven sports. The events will be held not only in Beijing but also in other parts of China including Yanqing and Chongli.