Samuel Uduigowme Ikpefan, 30, is the sole representative of Nigeria at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Hosted by Beijing, China, the international winter multisport event will be held from February 4-20, 2022.

In 1996, Ikpefan tried skiing for the first time. In November 2019, he changed his nationality from French to Nigerian.

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In February 2021, Ikpefan made his World Cup debut in Falun. He will compete in men’s cross-country skiing at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

This makes Ikpefan the first cross-country skier from Nigeria to compete in the Winter Olympics. He is also into football, swimming and road biking.

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 Ikpefan, 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.

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Born in Annemasse, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France to a Nigerian father and a French mother, Ikpefan has a brother named Daniel Ikpefan and a sister named Cecile Ikpefan. Samuel has a son born in 2018.

Cecille is a five-time French champion in rugby with Montpellier, France while Daniel is a rugby player currently playing for Section Paloise Bearn Pyrenees. Their father competed in athletics at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.