Rakan Ali Reza

Rakan Ali Reza is a Saudi cross-country skier and the first Saudi to qualify for the 2026 Milan Cortina d'Azur Winter Olympics. He began his athletic career in rowing, winning a gold medal at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Games, before transitioning to winter sports and making a significant impact in international competitions. Despite growing up in the desert city of Jeddah, Rakan overcame challenges, training between Saudi Arabia and the European Alps to forge a unique athletic career combining rowing and cross-country skiing. He participated in several international competitions, including the World Championships in Trondheim and the Planica Championships, which contributed to his historic qualification for the Winter Olympics. Alongside his athletic career, Rakan is an entrepreneur and advocate for water and winter sports in the Kingdom, aiming to inspire the next generation of Saudi athletes to pursue new sporting opportunities, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.