Puerto Rico is represented at the 2022 Winter Olympics by Kellie Delka, 34, and William C. Flaherty, 17. Hosted by Beijing, China, the international winter multisport event will be held from February 4-20, 2022.
During the event’s opening ceremony, Delka and Flaherty served as Puerto Rico’s flagbearers. She will compete in women’s skeleton and he will compete in men’s alpine skiing.
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Born in Bedford, Texas, United States, Delka earned her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas in 2011. In the same year, she was introduced to skeleton.
Delka started representing the U.S. in 2019 and started competing for Puerto Rico in 2018. She finished 24th at the 2019 World Cup in Lake Placid, New York, USA.
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Currently based in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Flaherty attends an online educational program called Laurel Springs School. In 2008, his older brother Charles Flaherty donated blood marrow for a transplant he needed to combat a disease called hemophagocytic lymph histiocytosis.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, William first learned to ski at Beaver Creek in Colorado, USA in 2010 and he and his family moved from Cincinnati to Puerto Rico in 2011. He finished 48th in giant slalom at the 2021 Junior World Championships in Bansko, Bulgaria.
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 Delka and Flaherty, 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.
On February 4, 2022, the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics was held at Beijing National Stadium in Beijing. The final seven torchbearers mounted the torch itself into the center of a stylized snowflake that was constructed from placards bearing the names of the delegations competing in the event.
CONAN Daily 