Rakan Alireza: From Jeddah's waters to Milan's Olympic slopes

Arab News

06-06-2025

JEDDAH: Cross-country skier Rakan Alireza has made history as the first Saudi athlete to compete in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He is now focused on leaving an even bigger mark on the sport.
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Known for his unique dual-sport talent in skiing and rowing, Alireza last year won a rowing gold medal at the Saudi Games, the Kingdom's premier national sporting event held annually.
Having steadily progressed on the international ski circuit, he has recently competed in several global events, including the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Above all, Alireza has successfully qualified for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and is already focused on preparing for the prestigious event.
'I've been working toward this goal for years,' Alireza told the media recently. 'It's a dream that's coming closer, but there's still a lot of work to do.'
Despite tough competition and limited snow exposure at home, his international experience and discipline keep him in the running.
Alireza's journey has already inspired many in the Kingdom. He trains year-round, alternating between alpine slopes and watersport arenas.
His ambition extends beyond personal milestones. 'If I can qualify, it opens the door for others. It shows that Saudis belong in winter sports too,' he told Arab News.
With growing institutional backing and increasing public interest, Alireza represents a shifting athletic landscape in Saudi Arabia, one where snow is no longer off-limits.
For most athletes, preparing for the Winter Olympics involves snow, mountains, and early mornings in alpine silence. For Rakan Alireza, it begins in the desert heat of Jeddah.
Now 29, the Saudi athlete will represent the Kingdom in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Reflecting on the moment he learned he had qualified, Alireza called it 'bittersweet.
'Because when you work for a goal for such a long time, and once you reach it, it feels like the end,' he said.
He remembers standing among the crowd at the Milan-Cortina slopes years ago — not as an athlete, but as a spectator — quietly dreaming of carrying his nation's flag across that snow.
'I saw different flags. I remember clearly. I felt like I can't wait to raise the Saudi flag there. That's the only thing I remember.'
Skiing is now the sport driving his every move. His routine is a cycle of relentless fitness training.
'Wake up early. Two to three hours of steady-state cardio. Go to work. Do it again in the afternoon. Ninety percent of my training is just cardio,' he says, laughing. But the weight of Olympic qualification is never far from his mind. '(In) 2026, I'm going to Milan. In like eight months; it's really close.'
Cross-country skiing and rowing may seem worlds apart, but Alireza sees them as complementary.
'They're both the most aerobic sports in the world. Being in the rowing team helps because I'm surrounded by competitors that make me work hard.
'If you go see the cross-country skiing field, I stick out like a sore thumb. I'm too big for the sport,' Alireza added. 'I drop from 91 kg to 85 during the season. Here in Jeddah, I just can't. It's a struggle.'
His choice to pursue both sports was not always welcomed. 'They wanted me to focus strictly on one. But I didn't believe that was my way. I'd rather fail my way than succeed someone else's way.'
His commitment to sporting excellence is deeply personal. 'It's a privilege to do what I do. I don't want to waste it. I don't regret anything. Even the race I didn't win, I'd do it again.'
Alireza believes that mental strength can be forged through a dedication to motion.
'Anyone who tells me he has problems, I tell him: Go run. Do something boring for a while. You'll be in your head a lot. You need to push past that.'
A key figure in his journey is his coach, Christer Skog, a seasoned Swedish trainer who has led national teams in Sweden, the Czech Republic, the UK, and Australia.
'Now he has me. We fight. We eat cake. We move forward,' Alireza laughs. Skog's unconventional methods resonate with him. 'He once told me to go pick mushrooms for dinner instead of training. I ended up hiking for three hours. He just knows how to get my head back into it.'
Despite the rigorous training, Alireza remains grounded in humor and family.
'My dad still thinks I should work, but he supports me. My mom is my biggest cheerleader.'
Apart from his skiing and rowing adventures, Alireza is also a sports entrepreneur and is currently working with Kona Jeddah Marine Sports Club, Saudi Arabia's first wakeboarding facility.
'I started three years ago. It was a coincidence,' he said. 'I had just returned from a winter trip. I had no job. I was supposed to attend a wedding, but I stayed at the training center instead. That's when my boss saw me and said, 'You're Rakan Alireza? Stay.' Two weeks later, I was hired.'
Kona Jeddah is more than a sports club. It's a grassroots incubator offering wakeboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and electric surfboards.
'We introduced wakeboarding in Saudi. We have the first cable system here. The IWWF (International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation) certified us. Now they want to host international competitions. It's something I can contribute to.'
Alireza hopes Kona will one day produce Olympic-level athletes.
'We already have MoUs with federations,' he said. 'Rowing, swimming, kayaking. I want someone to go to the Olympics from a sport we built here.'
Alireza sees such targets as part of his contribution to the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
'When people say I'm ambitious, I say I'm just following the lead. Our leadership, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, are ambitious. The country is ambitious. It's a duty for us to contribute.'
The 2026 Winter Olympics will run from Feb. 6-22 next year, and as the countdown to the action in Milan continues, Alireza's focus is sharpening.
'I called the CEO of the rowing federation. He said, 'We'd love to have you back, but you should focus on skiing now. You have eight months. Give it your best.'
'Everything runs its course,' Alireza said. 'I haven't reached the point where I hate it. I'll always be in something.
'Maybe retirement from sport? Golf,' he grins. 'But not yet. Not now.'