(MICO2026) An ovation for perseverance at Milan-Cortina 2026

MILAN, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A moment filled with warmth and respect was frozen in time at the Tesero cross-country stadium during the ongoing Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

The champion of the men's 10km+10km skiathlon of cross-country skiing had long since completed his first round of media interviews, yet the clock at the finish line kept ticking. Spectators on-site remained in the stands. Their eyes were fixed on the distant snowy slope, waiting for every competitor to finish.

Finally, a figure in a blue-and-red racing suit appeared in the distance. It was Stevenson Savart of Haiti.

Spectators applauded and cheered, no less enthusiastic than the moment the champion finished. Although Savart ranked 64, he earned the same respect from the crowd.

Savart was born in 2000 in Delmas, Haiti. At the age of three, he moved to France and settled with his adoptive parents in Vosges. In this renowned skiing region, his love for the sport continued to grow, eventually leading him to become a cross-country skier.

Savart became the first Haitian cross-country skier to compete at the Winter Olympics.

At the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the tropical country of Haiti sent two athletes. During the opening ceremony, Savart held the Haitian flag and entered the Predazzo sub-venue with his coach. His compatriot Richardson Viano, Haiti's first-ever Winter Olympian and an alpine skier, took part in the ceremony at the Livigno sub-venue.

After crossing the finish line, Savart smiled and bowed deeply, accepting the cheers from the crowd.

When people of different cultures, skin colors, and languages unite to applaud a figure who perseveres to the very end, it becomes the most vivid embodiment of the Olympic motto's final word: "Together."