Lebanese athletes failed to demonstrate their full potential at the Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon on Monday.
The trio from the Lebanese delegation to the Youth Olympic Winter Games, consisting of skiers Syrelle Lazem, Karen Succar and Marcelino Tawk, competed in the cross-country skiing event in the first short 5.1 km stage, known as the sprint. The race took place in Gangwon, South Korea.
The head of the delegation, Raymond Succar, said in a press interview that the Lebanese team’s results were “below expectations,” due to several counter-performances, including Tawk falling three times during the race, impacting his result with a time of 40:22:4 minutes. Syrelle Lazem recorded a time of 32:15:5 minutes, while Karen Succar finished with a time of 30:33:5 minutes. The head of the delegation pointed out that this was the first time athletes Lazem and Succar participated in a cross-country race outside Lebanon, explaining the disparities in competitive ability compared to players from other countries.
Succar noted that the Lebanese team will take part in the second leg of the race on Tuesday, January 30, over a longer distance of 5.7 km. He also indicated that skier Marcelino Tawk is expected to record a better result based on his technical history and previous performances. He pointed out that this race marks the final stage of Lebanese participation in the Youth Olympic Winter Games.
