Filipino-Italian Alpine Skier To Represent PH In Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

Cover image: Francis.secca IG

MILAN, Italy—A 22-year-old Filipino-Italian alpine skier will represent the Philippines in the upcoming 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

Francis Ceccarelli will compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics, which is set to begin on February 26, 2026.

According to Olympics.com, Ceccarelli is also set to become the fifth Olympic Alpine skier from the Philippines.

The Olympic Solidarity athlete is the first Filipino to earn a quota spot* for the Olympic Winter Games in February.

“Since I started skiing, my Filipino identity has always been with me. It represents where I was born and where I'm from. It was a goal for me to ski for the Philippines, because it is not every day that we have a Filipino athlete skiing at international level,” Ceccarelli said in Olympics.com interview.

Ceccarelli is originally from Quezon City and adopted by an Italian couple. He lives in Abetone in Tuscany and his mother, former professional skier Lisa Seghi, was influential on his athletic trajectory.

Ceccarelli has been competing under the Filipino flag since 2023, a move made in anticipation of Milano Cortina 2026.

Olympics.com also said it is now time for Ceccarelli to represent the Southeast Asian nation on the Olympic slopes following in the snow prints of Ben Nanasca and Asa Miller.