Could this young Chilean bring home Latin America’s first Winter Olympic medal?

Chile’s 27 year old Henrik von Appen arrived in Beijing with one goal in mind: to bring home Latin America’s first Winter Olympics medal.

The young alpine skier from Santiago represented Chile in both the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics and is aiming for a top 20 finish in the men’s downhill race on Sunday.  

“I’m confident, this course really suits me. Very technical, not much gliding which is my biggest weakness,” he said of the course nicknamed “The Rock.”

But his confidence is matched only by his commitment.

According to an NBC News report, von Appen spends close to half the year in central Europe, following the skiing circuit – often spending extended periods away from his family and his girlfriend in Chile.

“Coming from Chile, Argentina or even Norway, it’s hard for relations and the family. Of course, if you want to beat all these guys you need to train the same or more to be able to compete. I don’t really want to give any advantage to nobody, so I’m always training,” he said.

“My dream is just to beat all these guys every time. If I do it, I think a lot of Chileans will be inspired. I hope in the future we can do a World Cup in Chile.”