Ben Nanasca

Last updated
Ben Nanasca
Alpine skier  
Disciplines Slalom, giant slalom
Born (1954-12-29) December 29, 1954 (age 67)
Philippines
Olympics
Teams1 – (1972)

Ben Nanasca is a Filipino alpine skier who represented the Philippines at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.

Contents

Early life

Ben Nanasca was born on December 29, 1954 [1] in the Philippines. He has six siblings. [2] Nanasca along with his cousin Juan Cipriano were adopted by New Zealanders. [3] His family had to put him for adoption due to hardships they experienced in the Philippines and left the country in 1968 after he and his cousin were adopted. [2]

Nanasca, his cousin and their adopted family resided in Andorra where the cousins skied in the Pyrenees. They later resided in Spain, France and Switzerland. [2]

Career

Nanasca and Cipriano were scouted by the Swiss government and became part of an alpine skiing development group. The government sponsored their training. The two later qualified to compete at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan for the Philippines. [2] They became the first Filipino Winter Olympians. Nanasca finished 42nd among 48 finishers in the giant slalom event with the time of 4:06.20. He did not finish in the slalom event. [4]

Post-Olympic

After the Olympics, Nanasca returned to the Philippines and shortly resided there before emigrating to New Zealand at age 18. He competed in local alpine skiing races there and was part of the New Zealand team. He also worked as a teacher for a year before starting to work with Youthtown in 1985 where he organizes outdoor camps. [2]

Personal life

Ben Nanasca is married to Florengel, a Filipino from Dumaguete, with whom he has two daughters; Karen and Alana. [5] Both daughters are ballerinas. [2] Karen is a member of the Melbourne-based Australian Ballet. [6]

Related Research Articles

The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially the XI Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Sapporo 1972, was a winter multi-sport event held from February 3 to February 13, 1972, in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It was the first Winter Olympic Games to take place outside Europe and North America.

The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in Sapporo, Japan, from 3 to 13 February 1972. A total of 1,006 athletes representing 35 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in 35 events from 10 different sports and disciplines.

Prince Hubertus of Hohenlohe-Langenburg Mexican alpine skier

Prince Hubertus of Hohenlohe-Langenburg is a Mexican alpine skier, photographer, businessman, and a pop singer known as Andy Himalaya and Royal Disaster. He belongs to a family which, until the early 19th century, reigned over the territory of Hohenlohe-Langenburg in what is now northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics 1972 edition of the ski jumping competitions during the Olympic Winter Games

Alpine skiing at the 1972 Winter Olympics consisted of six events, held February 5–13 near Sapporo, Japan. The downhills were held at Mount Eniwa, and the four technical events at Teine.

Kyrgyzstan at the 2006 Winter Olympics Sporting event delegation

Kyrgyzstan a delegation to compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy from 10–26 February 2006. This was Kyrgyzstan's fourth appearance at a Winter Olympic Games. The delegation consisted of a single alpine skier, first-time Olympian Ivan Borisov. His best performance was 41st in the men's giant slalom, and he was disqualified from the men's slalom.

Tropical nations at the Winter Olympics Participation of athletes from tropical nations in the Winter Olympic Games

Several tropical nations have participated in the Winter Olympics despite not having the climate for winter sports. Partly because of that, their entries are a subject of human interest stories during the Games. No tropical nation has ever won a Winter Olympic medal.

Philippines at the 1992 Winter Olympics Sporting event delegation

The Philippines sent a delegation to compete at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France from 8–23 February 1992. This was the nation's third appearance at the Winter Olympic Games. The delegation consisted of a single athlete, alpine skier Michael Teruel. He competed in both the giant slalom, where he finished in 71st, and in the slalom, in which he finished in 49th.

Philippines at the 1972 Winter Olympics Sporting event delegation

The Philippines competed in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan with two athletes who competed in alpine skiing. The country was also the first tropical nation and Southeast Asian country to feature in the Winter Olympics.

Roland Thöni Italian alpine skier

Roland Thöni was an Italian alpine ski racer. A cousin of Gustav Thöni, Roland competed on the World Cup circuit during the 1970s.

Laurence Thoms is a Fijian alpine skier who was born in Suva. He represented Fiji at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and attracted media attention as a competitor from a tropical nation at the Winter Olympics.

Judy Crawford Rawley is a Canadian former alpine skier, who competed at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, placing fourth in women's slalom.

Jim Hunter, nicknamed "Jungle Jim", is a Canadian former alpine ski racer who represented Canada at two Winter Olympic Games in 1972 and 1976, and won a bronze medal in the 1972 World Championships. He was a member of the Canadian Men's Alpine Ski Team nicknamed the "Crazy Canucks", and is considered to be the original Crazy Canuck.

Mikaela Shiffrin American alpine skier (born 1995)

Mikaela Pauline Shiffrin is an American two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and World Cup alpine skier. She is a three-time Overall World Cup champion, a four-time world champion in slalom, and a six-time winner of the World Cup discipline title in that event. Shiffrin is the youngest slalom champion in Olympic alpine skiing history, at 18 years and 345 days.

Juan Cipriano is a Filipino alpine skier who represented the Philippines at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.

Philippines at the 2018 Winter Olympics Sporting event delegation

The Philippines competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from 9 to 25 February 2018. The country was represented by two male athletes, a figure skater and an alpine skier.

Asa Bisquera Miller is a Filipino American alpine skier who competed for the Philippines at the 2018 Winter Olympics, in the giant slalom. He was also the country's flag bearer in the opening ceremony of the games. He previously took part in the 2017 World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships, in Sweden.

Alice Robinson New Zealand skier

Alice Robinson is a New Zealand World Cup alpine ski racer. At age sixteen, she competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics, in giant slalom and slalom. She is representing New Zealand in the giant slalom event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Philippines at the 2022 Winter Olympics Sporting event delegation

The Philippines is currently competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, from 4 to 20 February 2022. The country has qualified one athlete in alpine skiing.

Mohammad Arif Khan is an Indian alpine skier, who competes in the slalom.

Ghana at the 2022 Winter Olympics Sporting event delegation

Ghana competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. The 2022 Winter Olympics were held from 4 to 20 February 2022.

References

  1. "Ben Nanasca". Olympics. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Healy, Catherine (16 August 2012). "Olympian part of Youthtown history". stuff. Fairfax New Zealand Limited. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  3. Goldblatt, David (26 July 2016). The Games: A Global History of the Olympics (illustrated ed.). W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN   978-0393254112 . Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  4. Henson, Joaquin (12 February 2010). "Pinoys in Winter Games". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  5. "First-ever PH Winter Olympian hopes Asa Miller breaks 50-year-old record". Tiebreaker Times. 12 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  6. Tatman, Christian (8 July 2016). "Karen Nanasca performs in Giselle at Frankston Arts Centre". Frankston Standard Leader. Retrieved 3 October 2017.