2 Fairfield Natives Competing In Beijing Winter Olympics

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield is well-represented this month at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, with local natives Kristen Santos and Mac Forehand competing.

Santos, a speed skater and 2012 graduate of Fairfield Warde High School, is a first-time Olympic competitor and a strong contender to medal in the short track contest, according to the Connecticut Post, which reported Santos ran track and played soccer at Warde. The 27-year-old suffered an injury in 2017 and did not make the 2018 Olympic team, but this year she will compete in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,500-meter races, entering the games with the U.S. record for the 500- and 1,000-meter, the Post reported.

Forehand, 20, was raised in Southport and qualified for the U.S. Free Ski Team at 17, according to News 12, which reported that Forehand attended high school in Vermont, where he was a student at Stratton Mountain School.

The opening ceremony for the 2022 Olympics was set for Friday morning.