UAE skier Piera Hudson reflects on Winter Olympics experience
Hudson represented the UAE in the 2026 Milano Cortina Games
UAE Skier Piera Hudson reflects on her historic 2026 Winter Olympic campaign.
Piera Hudson and 19‑year‑old Alex Astridge made history by becoming the first athletes to represent the UAE at the Winter Olympics, competing in the men’s and women’s alpine skiing events at the Milano‑Cortina 2026 Games.
Hudson took to her Instagram where she got real with her followers about her time competing at the Games.
“I’ve had a few days to reflect on my Games and I wanted to share some thoughts,” said Hudson.
“I’m not usually someone who gets “raw” on social media, but the love I’ve received these past weeks has meant more than I can express. So this feels right.
“Last year I got metaphorically punched. Hard. I blew out my “good” knee and before we even know how serious it was my first thought was: how many days until the Olympics.
“From then on, it was a race against the clock, I had complications after surgery and needed another just to walk properly. I kept quiet; I had no energy to spare. Every ounce went into healing, strengthening, believing.
“I’m not sharing this as an excuse. The Olympics is one day, when you step into that start gate no one sees the scars, the months of doubt, or countless physio session. They just see the run.”
The 30-year-old competed in two events at the Games, the women’s giant slalom and the women’s slalom.
Hudson completed the first run in the giant slalom with a time of 1:08.01, placing 42nd among those who finished that run, 4.78 seconds behind the leader.
However, in the second run, she did not finish the course, which meant she was not included in the final combined standings for the event.
Hudson fared better in the women’s slalom, successfully completing both runs of the event. She posted a time of 52.74 seconds in the first run, placing 48th, and improved her overall standing with a second-run time of 56.93 seconds. Her combined time of 1:49.67 secured 39th place in the final rankings.
She shared that, while she was immensely proud to represent her country at the Olympics, she couldn’t help feeling disappointed with her performance.
“In my eyes, I didn’t ski the way I know I can,” Hudson continued.
“That’s what stings, knowing there was more in me. That’s the heartbreak when goals and performance don’t meet on the day that matters.
“I can be disappointed the day didn’t go as imagined, and still be proud. Proud of the months and years I pushed through. Proud my body carried me back to the Olympic stage. Proud I didn’t give up when it would’ve been easier to.”
