Athletes from around the world are in the Italian Alps for the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday – including 13 sportspeople from eight African countries. Though the continent isn't associated with winter sports,

Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Fourteen athletes from eight African nations are set to compete at the Winter Olympics, marking a significant increase from Beijing 2022.

Even though the Olympics connect the global village, the Winter Games remain a distant dream for Africa, a continent where snow and ice are hard to find. Winter sports face high barriers from the start.

Technically speaking, the 2026 Winter Olympics have been underway for days now, with events such as women's hockey and curling starting early to ensure