Back in Venezuela, 'world's worst skier' proud of himself

CARACAS - Venezuelan skier Adrian Solano may be the butt of the world's jokes after a string of slips and falls during the Lahti Nordic World Ski Championships last week, but the 22-year-old cook, who had never seen snow and practiced the sport on wheels, is delighted with his "marvelous adventure".

Following the example of hapless British ski jumper Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards and the Jamaican bobsleigh team, immortalized in the film Cool Runnings, Solano's mishaps in Finland went viral, earning him the title of "world's worst skier."

Video shows Solano immediately losing his balance when coming out of the gate and repeatedly tripping over his skis. But he is proud of his performance.

"I fell and did not give up. Not everyone gets up but I got up more than 30 times," he said after his return to Venezuela.

"Many people don't realize that practicing on asphalt is very different to practicing on snow because the snow has a different texture."

Really, Adrian?

Back with his family in the sweltering city of Maracay where he learned to ski on wheels, Solano said he long dreamed of competing abroad and that his friends and neighbors helped him save for a flight to Europe ahead of the competition, giving him time to hone his technique on snow rather than asphalt.

That flight alone was near impossible in a crisis-stricken country where many, including Solano, earn the equivalent of just a few dollars a month in an economic meltdown that has left many hungry and standing in long supermarket lines.

When Solano turned up with just 28 euros ($29.57) in cash at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport late last month, immigration officials did not buy that he was an aspiring world-class athlete.

He was forced to return to Venezuela five days later, he said. His story caught the attention of Finnish TV personality Aleksi Valavuori, who set up a crowdfunding campaign and raised more than 4,000 euros ($4,224) to pay for another flight, via Madrid.

"Something had to be done," said Valavuori. "I knew absolutely nothing. I'd never heard of Venezuelan skiing."

Valavuori tracked down Solano, dejected and back in Maracay, and told him he would have a second shot at competing in the championships.

"Aleksi was like a guardian angel," said Solano. "This was my dream."

Valavuori and an interpreter drove to Helsinki to collect Solano, who marveled at seeing snow for the first time.

Less than 12 hours after arriving, Solano was first out of the gate for the cross-country event.

"It was my first experience on skis on snow in my life," he said. "I was scared."

Watching from the sidelines, Valavuori began to realize something was not quite right.

"At first, I was like, 'Holy cow, he can't ski,'" said Valavuori. "But the longer it went on, the more he became like a hero."

The video went viral, with both endearment and harsh criticism on social media.