Arthur Saparbekov, representing Kyrgyzstan, made his debut at the Winter Olympic Games in Italy, where he competed in the cross-country skiing sprint.
In the qualifying round held on February 10, 94 athletes participated. Saparbekov started under number 91 and completed the first 800 meters in 2 minutes 23.8 seconds, finishing the distance with a total time of 4 minutes 36.85 seconds, which secured him 94th place - the last in the competition.
Only the top 30 skiers were able to advance to the quarterfinals. The leader of the qualification was Norwegian Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who recorded a time of 3 minutes 7.37 seconds. Saparbekov lagged behind him by 1 minute 29.48 seconds.
Saparbekov's next start is scheduled for February 13, where he will participate in the 10 km freestyle race.
