Autistic Twin Skiers Eye Gold at VIRTUS Championship in France

Turkish national skiers Muhsin Murat and Aliye Zeynep Bingül, autistic twins, are setting their sights on gold at the upcoming VIRTUS Open Ski Championship in Gourette, France. The prestigious event is scheduled to take place from March 18-21.

The 22-year-old siblings are undergoing an intensive training regimen at the Palandöken Ski Center in Erzurum, Turkey. They train six hours a day, seven days a week, under the guidance of coaches Osman Darel and Elkamer Darel.

This isn't their first international competition. The Bingül twins previously secured second and third-place finishes in different categories at the VIRTUS Open Alpine Kitzbühel Ski Race in Austria. Their coaches highlight that Muhsin Murat and Aliye Zeynep are believed to be the only professional skiers in the world with severe autism.

Their impressive track record includes a first-place victory at the 2024 European Championship, and they have consistently maintained a world second-place ranking for the past five years. Their ultimate goal in France is to achieve a world championship title and bring home a gold medal for Turkey.