Regina Martínez Makes History: 1st Mexican Woman in Olympic Cross-Country Skiing

Milano-Cortina, February 12. Regina Martínez Lorenzo crossed the finish line in 108th place out of 108 competitors with a time of 34:05.4 minutes in the women's 10-kilometer freestyle cross-country skiing event. She finished last, nearly 11 minutes behind winner Frida Karlsson of Sweden. But the athletic result barely matters: Regina is the first Mexican woman to compete in cross-country skiing at a Winter Olympics. The medalists waited for her at the finish line to congratulate her.

The 33-year-old Mexico City native discovered cross-country skiing at age 28 while doing her medical residency in Minnesota. "Cold, loneliness, and seasonal depression" led her to try the sport. In 2018, she watched Germán Madrazo represent Mexico at PyeongChang after just one year of practice. That lit the spark. She contacted Madrazo, who became her coach. She spent eight years training while working hospital shifts in Miami, funding her athletic career with her own resources.

Mexico had only had three men in Olympic cross-country skiing: Roberto Álvarez (1992, 1998), Germán Madrazo (2018), and Jon Soto Moreno (2022). Regina expands that list and breaks the gender barrier in a discipline completely foreign to the Mexican landscape.

The skier was also a soccer player in Pumas UNAM's youth academy and was promoted to the first division with Dimas Escazú in Costa Rica. Skiing rescued her when winter depression struck. She qualified for Milano-Cortina in March 2025 during the World Championships in Trondheim, Norway. Her participation is historic for a country without winter sports infrastructure. Mexico brought five athletes to these Games: besides Regina, there are Donovan Carrillo (figure skating), Sarah Schleper (veteran alpine skier in her seventh Olympics), her son Lasse Gaxiola (Olympic debut), and Allan Corona (cross-country skiing).

Regina finished last but received an ovation. The rivals who waited for her include Brazilian Bruna Moura and American Jessie Diggins. Crossing that finish line was worth more than any position: it proved that dreams have no geography and that Mexico can write itself in the snow even without frozen mountains.