Politics, penis injections, damaged medals: Every week of controversy on the Winter Olympics

[ad_1] Ukrainian barred over ‘helmet of heroism’ When Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych raced in coaching Monday, he gave a easy clarification for sporting a helmet that includes portraits of two dozen Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia's struggle: “A few of them had been my buddies,” he mentioned.

The Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) was fast to say 27-year-old Heraskevych, who was his nation's flag bearer, couldn't put on the helmet in competitors, because it violated a rule banning political statements on the Video games.

Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych begins a males's skeleton coaching session in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on February 11, 2026. © Aijaz Rahi, AP However the skeleton athlete refused to conform, and when he turned up for his race on Thursday, he was barred from competing simply 45 minutes earlier than the beginning of the competitors.

"I actually suppose we might have received a medal. I really feel it was taken away from me," mentioned Heraskevych, who positioned fourth within the World Championships final yr.

The ICO mentioned it provided concessions, akin to sporting a black armband or letting him show the helmet as soon as he was off the ice.

However Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday criticised the IOC resolution, saying it contradicted the spirit of the Video games.

Learn extra 'The worth of our dignity': Ukraine athlete disqualified from Olympics over memorial helmet

A disputed gold for France’s divisive ice duo French ice dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron arrived on the Milan Cortina Olympics amid a swirl of controversy which solely elevated once they edged out American favourites Madison Chock and Evan Bates to win gold.

“We're nonetheless in shock,” mentioned Cizeron. “Wanting again a yr in the past, after we began dreaming this, it is fairly unimaginable.”

Whereas the Individuals skated an almost excellent sequence, Cizeron made a number of errors, together with a obtrusive one throughout his twizzle sequence, however was in the end favoured by a French decide, permitting the French duo to take the gold.

Learn extra France’s Cizeron, Fournier Beaudry win ice dance gold at 2026 Olympics

Previous to the competitors, each Beaudry and Cizeron had been mired in controversy stemming from their former companions.

Beaudry, who beforehand skated for Canada, was left in skilled limbo when Skate Canada banned Nikolaj Sorensen for no less than six years after allegations of “sexual maltreatment”. The suspension was overturned in June on jurisdictional grounds, however the case remains to be pending, and the uncertainty of all of it left Beaudry looking for a brand new associate.

She discovered one in Cizeron, who had retired after successful the Olympic gold medal with Gabriella Papadakis in 2022.

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron on the Olympic Video games in Milan on February 11, 2026. © Stephanie Scarbrough, AP However in the previous couple of weeks, Cizeron additionally has come below scrutiny resulting from Papadakis's new memoir, “So As Not To Disappear”, by which she accused her longtime associate of being demanding, controlling and emotionally manipulative.

Cizeron has known as the allegations false, accusing Papadakis of engineering a “smear marketing campaign”.

Following Cizeron’s win on Wednesday, Papadakis posted an image of a glass of wine and a packet of cigarettes on social media, and wrote that she was “logging off”.

French biathlete struggles to shake off fraud conviction French biathlete Julia Simon has up to now received gold within the 15 kilometres title and the combined relay at this yr’s Video games, elevating her to the standing of France's greatest-ever lady biathlete – however has seen her victories overshadowed by her prison conviction final yr for scamming her teammates.

Learn extra Milan Cortina 2026: France’s Julia Simon races to gold in girls’s particular person biathlon

Simon was discovered responsible in October of stealing and utilizing bank cards belonging to her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and a crew physiotherapist.

Other than her jail sentence, she was additionally fined €15,000 ($17,800) and given a six-month ban by the French Ski Federation (FFS) at the start of November.

The game's governing physique later suspended 5 months of the ban, that means Simon solely missed the opening World Cup meet of the season in Oestersund, Sweden.

"I can’t clarify my actions. I’ve needed to work with a psychologist to grasp and develop from this," she advised the courtroom on the time of her conviction.

After her victory on Wednesday, Simon was not within the temper to debate final yr's occasions with the media – as she hinted by elevating a finger to her mouth as she crossed the end line.

"What I would really like now in all honesty is so that you can go away me in peace," she advised Eurosport.

Julia Simon of France reacts after crossing the end line on the Anterselva Biathlon Enviornment in South Tyrol, Italy on February 11, 2026. © Matthew Baby, Reuters Defective clasps ship medals flying US skier Breezy Johnson was among the many first athletes to expertise her medal falling aside. She confirmed her damaged gold medal on the post-event media convention on Monday.

"So there's the medal. And there is the ribbon," she advised reporters. "And this is the little piece that's supposed to enter the ribbon to carry the medal, and yeah, it got here aside."

Different athletes have seen the identical subject with their ribbons and clasps, notably sending their medals flying in the course of jubilant celebrations.

'Do not leap in them': Olympic athletes' medals break throughout celebrations

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© France 24 The 1,146 medals for the 2026 Winter Video games had been manufactured by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, Italy's nationwide mint, which mentioned on Tuesday it will restore the defective medal fixings for athletes.

“Athletes who've medals with issues are invited to provide them again by means of the suitable channels,” Olympic organising committee spokesman Luca Casassa mentioned, “in order that they are often instantly repaired”.

It isn't the primary time Olympians have skilled such a difficulty.

Some 220 medals on the 2024 Video games in Paris, which contained a small piece of scrap steel from the Eiffel Tower, had to get replaced as a result of they shortly turned black or rusted.

Frosty reception for JD Vance lower for US audiences The cheers that greeted the US athletes as they walked within the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday shortly turned to boos and jeers when the massive screens on the San Siro stadium lower to US Vice President JD Vance and his spouse Usha, each applauding and waving flags within the stands.

US Vice President JD Vance and Usha Vance through the opening ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics on February 06, 2026. © Yara Nardi, Reuters However as viewers all over the world noticed the group voice its displeasure at Vance’s presence, plainly these watching from the US didn't.

Varied media reported that US broadcaster NBC lower the boos and didn't touch upon them throughout its protection of the opening ceremony.

The White Home posted footage of Vance on the ceremony taken from NBC’s broadcast with none audible boos.

The Worldwide Olympic Committee mentioned on Saturday it hopes for "truthful play" on the Video games after it acknowledged that Vance had acquired a frosty reception.

Are ski jumpers gaining an edge with penis injections? One of many greatest controversies at this yr’s Video games started earlier than the opening ceremony when German newspaper Bild mentioned it had uncovered insider discuss of ski jumpers injecting their penises with paraffin or hyaluronic acid to realize a aggressive edge.

Elite ski jumpers bear a full physique scan to make sure their skin-tight fits don't have further materials which might give them extra raise as they soar by means of the air.

Thomas Rettenegger of Austria in motion through the ski leaping competitors at Predazzo Ski Leaping Stadium in Italy on February 11, 2026. © Stephanie Lecocq, Reuters In line with the newspaper, an enlarged penis may very well be used to change athletes' ski leap go well with measurement level, thereby securing a bigger, extra aerodynamic go well with during the season.

The World Anti-Doping Company on Thursday mentioned it will be looking out for any proof, and the game's governing Worldwide Ski and Snowboard Federation sought to dismiss the affair as "wild hearsay".

However the subject has drawn consideration partly as a result of go well with manipulation has beforehand led to sanctions within the sport.

Two Norwegian Olympic medallists, Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, had been suspended for three months final yr after their crew had been discovered to have secretly adjusted seams across the crotch space of their fits on the 2025 World Ski Championships.