For a cross-country skier from Venezuela, a tropical country with no ski resorts or winter sports traditions, just finishing the Olympics was a dream come true.
Claveau-Laviolette is the only Venezuelan athlete at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and is the sixth athlete from the country to qualify for the Winter Olympics.
He also became the first Venezuelan to ever compete in cross-country skiing at the Olympics.
Competing as a "single delegate," Claveau-Laviolette finished 88th and 98th respectively in the two men's individual sprint events held in Tesero, marking a historic breakthrough for Venezuela in the discipline.
"Just a few weeks ago, I wasn't even sure I would make it here," she told Xinhua. "Now I've finished two events at the Olympics. It's incredible. It's a dream come true."
From the tropics to the snow fields
On paper, Claveau-Laviolette's presence as a Venezuelan citizen seems implausible.
Venezuela, located on the Caribbean coast of South America, has a warm climate year-round and lacks domestic winter sports infrastructure.
Born in Lecheria, Anzoategui State, he moved to Quebec, Canada, with his family as a child. His father, a civil engineer who had worked in Caracas, introduced him to cross-country skiing when he was 10 years old.
"It was my father who got me into this sport," he said.
Holding dual Venezuelan and Canadian citizenship, he claims he has never experienced identity confusion. "I want to fight for my country, for my birthplace."
Training in Canada allowed her to develop her competitive edge. As a member of the Laval University cross-country ski team, Claveau-Laviolette consistently earned points in various International Ski Federation competitions.
Last November, at a World Cup competition in Ruka, Finland, Claveau-Laviolette earned nearly 300 Olympic qualifying points, enough to secure a historic berth for Venezuela.
