South Africa at the 2010 Winter Olympics

South Africa first entered Olympic competition at the 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympics. They made their debut at a Winter Olympic Games in the 1960 Winter Olympics.[1] From 1964 until 1991, South Africa was banned from the Olympics due to its practice of Apartheid.[2] South Africa was reinstated by the International Olympic Committee in 1991 following the end of Apartheid.[3] They returned to the Olympics for the 1992 Summer Olympics and the 1994 Winter Olympics.[1] The nation competed in every Winter Olympics from 1994 to these Vancouver Olympics in 2010.[1] The South African team consisted of two athletes; alpine skier Peter Scott and cross-country skier Oliver Kraas.[4] Krass was chosen as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony, while Alex Heath, a team coach, was chosen for the closing ceremony.[5][6]

South Africa qualified one entrant in alpine skiing.[7] That entrant, Peter Scott, was 19 years old at the time of the Vancouver Olympics.[8] In the men's giant slalom, held on 23 February, he failed to finish the first leg of the race.[9] His failure to finish was caused by leaving the starting gate too early, and then attempting to walk back up a "few meters".[10] Samir Azzimani, a fellow competitor, said Scott was disqualified, though the official records list him as a did not finish.[10]

South Africa qualified one entrant in cross-country skiing,[7] Oliver Kraas, who was 34 at the time of the Games.[11] In his event, the men's sprint, he posted a time of 4 minutes and 4 seconds in the qualifying round, which placed him in 61st position.[12] As only the top 30 competitors advanced to the event's next stage, he was eliminated.[12]