Source : ABC NEWS
A Ukrainian athlete is refusing to back down over a controversial helmet featuring the dead, Lindsey Vonn has a third surgery, and maple syrup has powered Ryan Cochran-Siegle to another medal.
Here are the quick hits from the Winter Olympics.
1. Banned helmet featuring dead Ukrainians worn again
A stand-off between the International Olympic Committee and Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych over the wearing of a banned helmet has not ended.
Vladyslav Heraskevych continues to wear a helmet with the faces of people killed in the Ukraine-Russia war. (AP: Steve Moore)
Earlier this week, Heraskevych wore a customised helmet featuring the faces of Ukrainian athletes and coaches who have been killed during his country’s war with Russia.
The IOC banned the wearing of that helmet on Monday, but on Wednesday, one day out from the start of his competition, Heraskevych again wore the helmet during a training run.
On Wednesday, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said Heraskevych had “many opportunities” to express himself, but the field of play at the Olympics was not one of them.
“It’s not the message, it’s the place that counts,’ Adams said.
“There are 130 conflicts going on in the world. We cannot have 130 different conflicts feature, no matter how terrible they are.”
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However, Heraskevych does not appear to be backing down.
A video of Adams’s Wednesday press conference was uploaded to social media by BBC Sport, and Heraskevych was in the comments.
“It’s becoming obvious from looking at the last few days that we’re being treated completely differently, and for some reason what’s allowed for other athletes isn’t allowed for us,’ the Ukrainian wrote.
“This helmet doesn’t violate IOC rules — unlike, for example, the Russian flag on the helmet of the Italian athlete.”
The Italian athlete Heraskevych is referring to is Roland Fischnaller, who wore a helmet with the flags of each country that has hosted the seven Olympic Games he has competed in.
That includes Russia, which hosted the Games in 2014. Russia is banned from the Olympic Games, and any Russian athletes competing do so under a neutral flag.
Whether Heraskevych is allowed to compete or not will be one of the main focuses on day six of the Games.
2. Lindsey Vonn says ‘I know I’ll be ok’ after third surgery
American ski legend Lindsey Vonn says her third surgery since a horrific fall ended her Olympic campaign “was successful”.
Vonn took to social media on Thursday morning, AEDT, to announce the successful surgery and that her recovery is progressing well.
She posted two photographs of herself lying in hospital, along with a tremendous set of flowers.
The 41-year-old was airlifted to hospital on the second day of the Games, when she crashed just 13 seconds into her downhill run.
She suffered a “complex tibia fracture” and has now gone under the knife three times.
“Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago,” Vonn wrote.
“I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be ok.
“Thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world.”
Vonn’s participation in these Games was one of the most keenly anticipated.
After coming out of retirement in 2024, following a six-year hiatus, Vonn had claimed victories and podiums in downhill and Super G World Cup events.
Ranked number one in the world in downhill, the American ruptured her ACL just nine days before the start of the Games, but decided to compete.
3. Italy enjoys one of its greatest luge days
Italian lugers enjoyed the greatest day of their long Olympic history on Wednesday, winning gold in both men’s and women’s doubles hugely against the odds as the time they had put in to learn every inch of their new Cortina track paid off spectacularly.
Italy’s gold medallists Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer celebrate as they arrive at the finish. (AP: Aijaz Rahi)
Andrea Voetter and Marion Oberhofer got things going with two silky runs to become the inaugural women’s doubles champions.
Things got even better when Emanuel Rieder and Simon Kainzwaldner, not even the country’s top pair, surged through to win the men’s doubles after a late mistake robbed the United States of what had looked to be a certain first gold in the sport.
Voetter and Oberhofer’s victory ended Germany’s iron grip on women’s luge that had seen them win the last eight singles and three mixed team golds. They are the first Italian women to medal in the sport since Gerda Weissensteiner won the singles in 1994 — the last time any non-German woman took an Olympic luge gold.
There is more of a pedigree on the men’s side, but it was the first men’s doubles gold since 1984 and first Italian luge gold since current head coach Armin Zoeggler won his second singles title in 2006.
“It’s crazy. I can’t believe it, it’s incredible,” Rieder said. “We had a good flow and a good feeling in training, but I have no words, I’ve lost my voice, I’ve been screaming too much.”
Voetter and Oberhofer came into the Games on the back of an underwhelming World Cup season but were right at home on the familiar ice with a fastest first run of 53.102 seconds.
German pair Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina and Austria’s World Cup leaders Selina Egle and Lara Kipp, piled on the pressure but had to settle for silver and bronze respectively as Voetter and Oberhofer held their nerve.
“Winning on a home track in my first Olympic Games, it’s so amazing,” Oberhofer said.
“I’m overwhelmed with emotions and we’re so grateful to everyone who supported us to reach this possibility. To race here in Cortina, that’s amazing.”
4. Maple syrup powering Olympic medals
American skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle could not hold anything down last weekend.
Ryan Cochran-Siegle claimed a terrific silver medal in the men’s super-G, just days after suffering a stomach bug. (AP: Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
The 33-year-old was reportedly ill on the gondola before his downhill run at the Milan Cortina Games, where he placed 18th.
But with a settled tummy, his Olympic mother in the stands, and reportedly the best maple syrup around, Cochran-Siegle produced a mighty performance to claim silver in the men’s super-G.
Cochran-Siegle’s efforts on Wednesday replicated the same feat he achieved four years earlier, when he also won silver in the men’s super-G in China.
Wednesday’s silver was a mighty comeback for Cochran-Siegle, who not only added to his personal medal tally but added to his family’s.
His mother, Barbara, won slalom gold in 1972.
But it is another family business which has also powered Cochran-Siegle throughout his career — maple syrup.
Cochran-Siegle’s family runs a maple syrup business, and at least one of his teammates is convinced the syrup has led to Olympic success.
“He’ll actually show up in the summer and that’s what he uses as a sports drink,” American teammate Kyle Negomir said.
“A lot of water and then a splash of syrup from his farm back home.
“That’s what powers Olympic medals.”
Cochran-Siegle, nor his syrup, could stop Swiss star Franjo von Allmen from making history in the super-G.
Von Allmen claimed his third gold medal of these Games, after also triumphing in the men’s downhill and men’s team combined alpine skiing.
The Swiss athlete becomes just the third men’s alpine skier to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games, after Jean-Claude Killy of France (1968) and Austrian Anton Sailer (1956)
5. Unfaithful biathlete apologises after stunning interview
Norway biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid has apologised to his teammates and his ex-girlfriend following his sensational interview after his bronze medal-winning efforts in Tuesday’s Olympic men’s 20km individual race, in which he revealed he had been unfaithful, saying he wanted to put the matter behind him.
Sturla Holm Laegreid drew plenty of attention after opening up about his infidelity at the Games. (Reuters: Matthew Childs)
News of Laegreid’s cheating on his girlfriend swiftly eclipsed teammate Johan-Olav Botn’s gold-medal performance in that race, with the tearful 28-year-old admitting to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK that he had told his ex-girlfriend about what he called his “mistake” a week ago, and that she had swiftly ended the relationship.
The story quickly made its way around the world and Laegreid was heavily criticised in Norwegian media for both his revelation and for stealing the limelight from Botn, as well as for casting his ex-girlfriend, who has asked to remain anonymous, into the media spotlight.
“I deeply regret that I brought up this personal story on what was a day of celebration for Norwegian biathlon. I am not quite myself today, and I am not thinking clearly. My apologies go to Johan-Olav, who deserved all the attention after the gold,” Lagreid said in a statement released by the Norwegian Olympic Committee.
“It also goes to my ex-girlfriend, who involuntarily ended up in the media spotlight. I hope she is doing well. I cannot change this but I will now put this behind me and focus on the Olympics. I will not answer any further questions about this.”
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