"Unprecedented situation" final suspension → Suddenly announcing a medal? A gold medalist who didn't even play properly... 'Awkward' All-time Outcry [Milan Olympics]

*This content was translated by AI.

The controversy over the 2026 Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics continues. The bad weather caused an unprecedented event in which the race was suspended midway and the medal owner was decided.

According to multiple media reports such as "Reuters" and "USA Today" on the 17th (Korea Standard Time), the final round of the men's ski jump super team in Fredacho, Italy, ended early due to heavy snow.

At that time, extreme snow and wind were blowing in the stadium, and the situation was so urgent that the organizing committee had to remove snow from the runway at the end of each jump. With 17 teams participating and eight teams advancing to the final round, the heavy snow intensified with the last three players left to jump.

In the end, the referee decided to cancel the game completely and determine the final ranking according to the performance of the second round. The game was not postponed, but ended as it was, leading to strong opposition from athletes who had not yet attempted the last jump and from countries competing for medals.

Based on second-round performance, Austria won the gold medal. Poland won a silver medal and Norway a bronze medal, respectively.

Ski jumping is the last time the top players fly. As a result, Austria, Poland, and Norway, which were leading, confirmed the medal without making the final jump. On the other hand, Germany, which finished fourth behind Norway by only 0.3 points, was deprived of the last chance to turn the tables.

In particular, Philip Raimund (Germany), the gold medalist in the individual event at Normal Hill, expressed anger, saying, "It's an unfortunate result."

Slovenia, which finished fifth, was also just 1.9 points behind Norway, which is in the bronze medal table. "I came to all competitions to win medals, but luck wasn't on our side today," Domen Prevts (Slovenia) said. "It was a really narrow difference, so the result went in an unwanted direction."

Ren Nikaido (Japan), who ranked sixth, also said in a 'Reuters' that "everyone thinks the same." We had to wait longer for the resumption of the game," he said. In particular, criticism of the decision intensified as the game was suspended and the snow died down even before the athletes received medals.

On the other hand, Norway, which won the bronze medal, defended the referee's decision as justifiable. "The snow was too thick and dense to cover the runway track, and the speed was too low to continue the race," Johan Andre Forfang (Norway) said. "It was rather fair to cancel the race rather than resume it."

USA Today said, "This incident is turning into another scandal of the Olympics," adding, "The Milan competition is in a state of disorder due to controversy over figure ice dancing judges and allegations of cheating in curling events. In this situation, forcing the end of the game and distributing medals despite the last three players remaining left a big scar on the athletes who were seeking to enter the medal table," he pointed out.

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*This content was translated by AI.