Alpine skier Connor Wilson became the 18th Olympic flag-bearer for South Africa when he walked during the opening ceremonies at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, a little over a week ago.
It wasn’t a hard choice. Wilson is the only athlete from South Africa competing at this Winter Olympics, and the first from his country to compete at the Winter Games in eight years.
Turns out the 21-year-old got his start in the sport right here in Franklin County while attending a local prep school.
Wilson whose home is in Johannesburg, South Africa, was born in 1996 and lived in the United States as a baby. His youth was spent between South Africa and the U.S., and he graduated from Eaglebrook School in Deerfield in 2013. It was during his time at Eaglebrook that he learned to ski, and upon returning to South Africa, he stuck with the sport, even though it meant traveling as many as six hours away.
Wilson currently attends the University of Vermont, where he is studying Veterinary Science, which is fitting because, according to a story written on ESPN.com, Wilson nearly tried to get to the Olympics in the sport of equestrian. He was a top youth rider in South Africa, but his horse got a disease. That unfortunate circumstance and Wilson’s love of skiing led him to fully immerse himself in the sport.
The South African finished 54th in the giant slalom during the World Championships last year, which qualified him for the Olympics. He also finished 71st in the slalom.
He made his Olympic debut Sunday in the men’s giant slalom but crashed on his first run and was eliminated from competition. Fortunately, he will get another chance to get a result when he competes in the men’s slalom, which can be seen live in prime time on NBC Wednesday night at 8 with the qualifying runs. The medal runs will take place at 11:30 that night.