Proulx grateful to represent Phl

BORMIO, Italy — Tallulah Proulx gave her best in the women’s slalom event of alpine skiing Wednesday and provided Team Philippines a strong finish in the 25th Winter Olympics here.

The 17-year-old Proulx clocked one minute and 02.93 seconds on her first run, good for 61st place, then timed 1:05.55 on her second and last run for an aggregate time of 2:08.48.

It was good for 50th overall out of 95 entries. Thirty-one skiers fell out of contention in the morning session while 11 others couldn’t get to the finish in the afternoon run.

It was a historic moment for Proulx, who was 52nd out of 76 participants in the giant slalom. She will go down in history as the first Filipina to vie in the Winter Olympics.

Proulx capped the Philippine participation in the Games a day after Francis Ceccarelli, who finished 54th in men’s giant slalom, crashed out in the shorter yet faster slalom event.

She was all smiles at the end of the terribly cold day at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina.

“I fought till the end so I’m really proud of myself and my result today,” Proulx said during an interview conducted by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

Well, she should be proud of representing the Philippines, at her young age, on the biggest stage of all winter sports, and giving her ancestral land some reason to cheer.

“For me, honestly, being the first Filipina at the Olympics is truly such a special moment,” said Proulx, who wrapped herself with the Philippine flag after the competition.

Ceccarelli traveled five hours from Bormio to Cortina just to lend his support to Proulx. Together, they held the Philippine flag in front of the cameras.

“I feel so honored to be able to present an important part of my heritage on the biggest stage I’ll probably be on all my life,” said the jolly Fil-American.

“Let her (Proulx) be an inspiration to others,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino, who thanked the Philippine Sports Commission under Patrick Gregorio for the all-out support.

American Mikaela Shiffrin, 30, won her third slalom gold 12 years after winning her first in Sochi, Russia. She also won the gold in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Shiffrin shone with a total time of 1:39.10 and was joined at the podium, at the same venue that hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, by Switzerland’s Camille Rast (1:40.60) and Sweden’s Larsson Anna Swenn (1:40.81).

Proulx and Ceccarelli will stay on for Sunday’s closing ceremony and will be joined by Philippine chef de mission Jez Apelar before they go separate ways.

Proulx, now planning her first visit to the Philippines, where her father was born, also held the flag during the opening rites last 6 February. She said it was such an honor.

“It was honestly surreal. It was insane having people on the side chanting, ‘Philippines.’ I just felt so proud to be a Filipino at that moment and bear that flag with so much pride,” she said.