TEAM IRELAND’S THOMAS Maloney Westgård has finished in 35th place in the men’s 10km + 10km skiathlon at the Winter Olympics in Predazzo, Italy.
Making his third appearance at the Winter Olympics, Maloney Westgård crossed the line three minutes and 13 seconds behind gold medallist Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway, to take 35th place out of 73 competitors.
Silver went to Mathis Desloges of France while Norway’s Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget took bronze.
Maloney Westgård, who was born in Norway and whose mother is from Galway, told RTÉ Sport that it was a difficult race.
“Brutal, that was a tough one. Soft conditions and quite icy and quite tricky [in the] downhills. It was a really challenging course, for sure. I was a bit anxious on the downhills.
After the 10km+10Km skiathlon @WestgardThomas
finishes 35th of the 73 competitors who completed #TeamIreland #MilanoCortina2026 #rtesport pic.twitter.com/tnUJY0oVHg— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 8, 2026
“My plan was to stick in the front for as long as I could but the pace was ridiculous, full out right from the start. No time for rest, the cramps were coming after the race. It was so tough just like it should be in the Olympics. I put everything out there and I can’t really ask for more.”
Maloney Westgård, who went into the Games targeting a finishing place between 30th and 40th, says he is proud to represent Ireland and is looking forward to his other events at the Winter Olympics.
He will return on Friday, 13 February for the 10km Freestyle cross-country and again on Saturday, 21 February for the 50km Classic cross-country.
“It has been challenging for me this season. I struggled a bit with over-reaching and had no clue as to what shape I’d be in coming to the Olympics. I’ve has better races for sure but I’m really happy, really proud to represent Ireland. I can’t really ask for more and I just look forward to the upcoming races. ”
Written by Sinead Farrell and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
