Mathieu Razanakolona
Encyclopedia
Mathieu Razanakolona is a Malagasy
-Canadian
alpine skier
, born to a Quebec
ois mother and a father from Madagascar
, currently residing in Canada.
He competes in both slalom
and giant slalom races. In January 2006 he made his debut in the Alpine skiing World Cup
in Schladming
, Austria
, but he was disqualified from this competition.
He was Madagascar's only representative
at the 2006 Winter Olympics
, and their first ever Winter Olympics representative. The FIS
gave him a wildcard
entry into the 2006 Winter Olympics.
In April 2009, Razanakolona was convicted of fraud of an amount of 500,000 Canadian dollars and sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Canadian court. He was placed on probation.
Malagasy people
The Malagasy ethnic group forms nearly the entire population of Madagascar. They are divided into two subgroups: the "Highlander" Merina, Sihanaka and Betsileo of the central plateau around Antananarivo, Alaotra and Fianarantsoa, and the côtiers elsewhere in the country. This division has its...
-Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
alpine skier
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
, born to a Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
ois mother and a father from Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, currently residing in Canada.
He competes in both slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
and giant slalom races. In January 2006 he made his debut in the Alpine skiing World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
in Schladming
Schladming
Schladming is a small mining town in the Austrian state of Styria, that is now very popular with tourists. It has become a large ski resort and has held various skiing competitions recently. The shopping area has lots of cafes, restaurant and a variety of shops and caters well for tourists.As of...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, but he was disqualified from this competition.
He was Madagascar's only representative
Madagascar at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Madagascar competed in the Winter Olympic Games for the first time at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.- Alpine skiing :Mathieu Razanakolona born in Montreal of Malagasy descent, finished 39th out of more than 70 starters in the men's giant slalom....
at the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
, and their first ever Winter Olympics representative. The FIS
International Ski Federation
The International Ski Federation, known by its name in French, Fédération Internationale de Ski is the main international organisation for ski sports...
gave him a wildcard
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
entry into the 2006 Winter Olympics.
In April 2009, Razanakolona was convicted of fraud of an amount of 500,000 Canadian dollars and sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Canadian court. He was placed on probation.