Jamaican Alpine skier Henri Rivers qualified to represent the Caribbean nation in Italy, and while sisters Henniyah and Helaina missed out, their Olympic dream continues.
The Rivers triplets will all be at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 – just not exactly how they had planned.
Having taken a gap year from their education to try and qualify for the men’s and women’s Alpine skiing events in Italy, it is solely Henri Rivers IV who will be competing for Jamaica while sisters Henniyah and Helaina just missed out on qualifying for the showpiece occasion.
At just 18 years old, however, the trio’s sights are already set on competing together at the next Winter Olympics in the French Alps in 2030. For now, though, the family Rivers, including coach and dad Henri Rivers III and mum and mentor Karen, will all be in Bormio to watch Henri take on the men’s slalom event on the famed Stelvio slope. The men’s Slalom runs begin tomorrow morning, with the medal events set for February 16.
“A wave of pride is definitely going to hit me, you know, just like, dang, I really did this, and this is going to be my future,” Henri told Olympics.com in an exclusive online interview on January 21, just weeks before the Winter Games began.
“You know, ‘You did it, you accomplished what you dreamed about’, and it’s just going to be a very, very good day for me’.”
Olympics.com also spoke separately to Henniyah and Helaina ahead of the last race in which they both still had a small chance of qualifying. Henri had already secured his place.
“It didn’t negatively change our dynamic,” Henniyah told Olympics.com, “it was just that my brother loves being with the both of us and we all love being together as well, (so) at first he was just a little sad. He was like, what if it’s just me? And I’m like, well, it’s not just going to be you. We’re still going to be there. Trust me, we will help … We’ll figure out some way to still be by your side even when you’re racing.”
Sure enough, the whole family plan to be in Bormio, where the men’s races take place, to cheer on Henri in the two-run competition, with his siblings shouting loudest of all.
“We do not tear each other down,” said Helaina of the close-knit trio. “We’re always supporting one another with the smallest goals, too. Oh, you scored whatever in this race, great job. You got this place in a race, great job, like we don’t belittle one another and we’re just really uplifting and supportive of each other.”
“Just being able to have sisters like that, to be so close with them, it really is great for me,” said Henri. “I always have them as motivation because without them, I wouldn’t be the skier I am today, so I really give thanks, and I’m really grateful for having them in my life.”
So the skiing journey for the New York-born siblings continues, but where did it all begin?
Courtesy of Olympics.com
