Haiti's first Winter Olympian Richardson Viano seeks to inspire

Richardson Viano wants to inspire young people and change perceptions of Haiti at Beijing 2022.

Viano will be the first Haitian to compete at a Winter Olympic Games when he takes to the slopes at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre.

No Caribbean alpine skier has previously taken part at the Games, but Viano and Jamaica's Benjamin Alexander will both go in the giant slalom.

It is a fairytale for the 19-year-old who lived in an orphanage in Haiti for a year and a half before being adopted in December 2005 by French-Italian couple Andrea Viano and Silvia Grosso-Viano.

He learned to ski in the French Alps but failure to make his home national setup saw him consider quitting before the opportunity for his birthplace arose.

Viano has already forged new links to Haiti, and wants to show a different side to the country from the poverty, political instability and devastation caused by natural disasters which dominate the news.

From the verge of retirement to a Beijing dream

Three-year-old Viano arrived in his new home of Briançon with two girls from the same orphanage Bellandine and Natacha.

He was quickly put on skis by his father Andrea, a ski instructor and guide, and quickly took to the sport before impressing as a junior.

By 2018, Viano felt his dream of making the French team was unlikely and, with his enjoyment of the sport also receding, he considered quitting.

However, an unexpected opportunity arose the following year in the form of Jean-Pierre Roy, the president of the Haitian Ski Federation.

Roy represented Haiti at the 2011 FIS World Ski Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, where he finished 78th in the slalom and 127th in the giant slalom, one of six global events in which he has competed.

He founded the Haitian Ski Federation a year earlier with French skiing coach Thierry Montillet following the devastating earthquake of 2010 on the principle of communicating positively about the Caribbean country and motivating Haitians through the values of sport.

They actively recruit athletes of Haitian descent and after getting hold of Viano's phone number, Roy asked him if he would like to represent the country of his birth.

In an earlier interview with Olympics.com, Viano said he thought it was a friend playing a prank on him but he looked Roy up on the internet and found there was indeed a Haitian Ski Federation.

After a few days, Viano called Roy and, accompanied by his parents, went to meet the man who was the first Haitian to compete at the World Championships.

He accepted Roy's offer and received his Haitian passport in the summer of 2019 with the International Ski Federation approving his switch in the November.

Viano represented Haiti for the first time that month at Bonneval-sur-Arc.

He finished 35th in the giant slalom at the 2021 World Championships in Cortina and accumulated enough FIS points to qualify for Beijing and make Haitian history.

Not only has he made his mark in sport, history but representing Haiti has also allowed him to forge a new relationship with his birthplace while aspiring to inspire others.

"Thanks to this commitment, I was able to get closer to my country of origin,” he added.

“I got back in touch with the orphanage where I came from and I am proud to show them my success.

"I really want to go back there to see my roots and especially to give dreams to young people through sport and its values.”

When to watch Richardson Viano in competition at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022

Richardson Viano competes in the giant slalom on Sunday 13 February with the first run at 10:15 Beijing time (02:15 GMT).

The second run is at 13:45 Beijing time (05:45 GMT).