On Monday, 26 January 2026, with 11 days to go to the start of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) announced the five (5) athletes to represent Team South Africa
This is the biggest delegation that the country has sent to a Winter Games, eclipsing the four that went to the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley, USA.
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be staged from the 6th to the 22nd of February.
There are two teenagers in the squad – Thomas Weir (17) and Lara Marthaler (18), both competing in the Alpine skiing competition. The other members are Malica Malherbe (21) – Freestyle, Nicole Burger (31) – Skeleton, and Matthew Smith (35) – Cross Country skiing.
The team is made up of all athletes making their first appearance at the Winter Olympics for Team South Africa. Lara Markthaler will be representing South Africa at her first senior level Olympic Games after her participation at the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.
Three-time Winter Olympian Alex Heath will lead the delegation, having been appointed as the Chef de Mission. His experience will be invaluable, having represented Team South Africa in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.
In congratulating the athletes that have been announced, Barry Hendricks, President of SASCOC had this to say: “It always brings great pleasure to announce any team that will represent South Africa at a multi-coded Games, with the Winter Olympic Games being the pinnacle for any athlete participating in snow sports”.He then went on to announce that, to reward the performance of the athletes, financial incentives would be put in place. Any athlete who wins gold will be awarded R400,000, with the coach receiving R100,000. Silver medallists will earn R200,000 and R50,000, while the bronze medal payouts will be R75,000 and R25,000 for the athlete and coach, respectively.
Some twelve (12) different athletes have represented Team SA in seven previous Winter Games’, although both Heath (three different Games) and Oliver Kraas (two Games) have been multiple representatives. South Africa is still to win a medal at the Winter Olympic Games.
SASCOC CEO Nozipho Jafta, said of the squad: “Team South Africa has always competed with pride at the Winter Olympic Games. This edition we expect similar, in the pursuit for excellence. We wish them every success and assure them that they have the support of the entire nation behind them. Beyond the quest for podium finishes, we hope that their representation of the country will inspire a lot more younger athletes to follow their dreams to one day be a part of the Winter Olympic Games in the future.”
TEAM SA SQUAD FOR 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
Men: Thomas Weir (Slalom & Giant Slalom), Matthew Smith (Cross-Country)
Women: Lara Markthaler (Slalom & Giant Slalom), Malica Malherbe (Freestyle skiing), Nicole Burger (Skeleton)
Coaches: Robert Weir (Slalom & Giant Slalom), Christian Markthaler (Slalom & Giant Slalom), Ole Ensrud (Cross-Country), Rhys Thornbury (Skeleton)
TEAM SOUTH AFRICA AT PREVIOUS WINTER OLYMPICS
(4) 1960, Squaw Valley, USA
Men: Marcelle Matthews and Gwyn Jones (figure skating)
Women: Patricia Eastwood and Marion Sage (figure skating)
(2) 1994, Lillehammer, Norway
Men: Dino Quattrocecere (figure skating)
Women: Cindy Meyer (short track speed skating)
(2) 1998, Nagano, Japan
Men: Alex Heath (Alpine skiing)
Women: Shirene Human (figure skating)
(1) 2002, Salt Lake City, USA
Men: Alex Heath (Alpine skiing)
(3) 2006, Turin, Italy
Men: Alex Heath (Alpine skiing), Oliver Kraas (cross-country and sprint), and Tyler Botha (skeleton)
(2) 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia
Men: Peter Scott (Alpine skiing), Oliver Kraas (cross-country sprint)
(1) 2018, Pyeongchang, South Korea
Men: Connor Wilson (Alpine skiing)
MULTIPLE WINTER OLYMPIANS
3 Alex Heath (1998, 2002, 2006)
2 Oliver Kraas (2006, 2010)
DID YOU KNOW?
One South African, Bruce Warner, has represented Team SA at the Winter Paralympics, in 1998 in Nagano, Japan.
