Morocco qualified to participate at the 2006 Winter Olympics, in Turin, Italy with the representation by Samir Azzimani (who lives in France) and Sarah Ben Mansour (who lives in Belgium), both in alpine skiing. However, they did not appear on the start list at the event.
Eighteen-year-old Ben Mansour was born outside Antwerp and trains in Flanders. The man-made indoor slope (coincidentally named the Casablanca Ski Centre) that she practices on is small compared to the majestic training grounds of the traditional skiing powers and involves countless numbers of short runs. Ben Mansour has a Belgian father and Moroccan mother, speaks Arabic, and grew up immersed in Muslim culture. Her total African skiing experience is limited to just two days in Morocco's Atlas Mountains, where she gave demonstrations to locals. Ben Mansour reportedly had to cancel because of a knee surgery.
Read more about this topic: Nations Not Competing At The 2006 Winter Olympics