Aruwin Salehhuddin

Aruwin Salehhuddin is a 21-year-old Alpine skier representing Malaysia at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. She is the sole athlete comprising the entire Malaysian contingent at the Games. This makes her newsworthy as she carries the responsibility of representing her entire nation alone. At the opening ceremony, she hoisted the Jalur Gemilang, the Malaysian flag. This is not her first Olympic appearance; four years prior, at age 17, she became the first female athlete to represent Malaysia at the Olympics. However, in that year, she shared the honor of carrying the flag with a male athlete. Her current relevance lies in her unique position as the only athlete representing her country, highlighting the disparity in resources and representation between Olympic powerhouses and smaller nations. Her participation underscores the spirit of the Olympics, where athletes from all nations, regardless of size, come together to compete.