Quick Hits from the Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympics have delivered a series of memorable moments, from powerful displays of solidarity to heartwarming celebrations and unexpected rivalries. Here are some of the standout stories from the event.
Heraskevych’s Helmet: A Symbol of Remembrance
At the 2022 Games in Beijing, days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych made a powerful statement by holding up a sign that read “No War in Ukraine.” Four years later, he continued his campaign with a helmet that depicted some of the Ukrainian athletes who had lost their lives since then. The helmet featured names such as weightlifter Alina Perehudova, boxer Pavlo Ishchenko, ice hockey player Oleksiy Loginov, actor and athlete Ivan Kononenko, diving athlete and coach Mykyta Kozubenko, shooter Oleksiy Habarov, and dancer Daria Kurdel.
Heraskevych told Reuters that the Olympic Committee had contacted the Ukrainian team about the helmet, citing the Olympic Charter’s ban on any form of political, religious, or racial propaganda. He said the matter was still being processed, highlighting the ongoing tension between personal expression and Olympic rules.
A Special Haka for Silver Medallist
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, a Sydney-born New Zealand rider, narrowly missed out on adding gold to her snowboard big air bronze and silvers from 2018 and 2022, settling for another silver behind Japan’s Kokomo Murase. Despite not winning gold, she received an unforgettable celebration from her team.
“I didn’t know that was happening,” she said. “I just went and saw my family, and then turned around, and the whole team was performing a haka for me, and it was really special. It meant a lot to me.”
Sadowski-Synnott, who won gold in slopestyle in 2022, expressed her pride in carrying the New Zealand flag during the Opening Ceremony. She also highlighted the support from her family and teammates, calling the experience “really special.”
Bradbury’s Dig at Jake Paul
Jutta Leerdam, a speed skating superstar with over 5 million followers on Instagram, made headlines at the Winter Olympics by claiming gold in the women’s 1,000 metres with an Olympic record time of 1:12.31. Her victory was celebrated by her fiancé, YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, who posted an emotional video of himself cheering and sobbing in the stands.
However, Australian Winter Olympic great Steven Bradbury offered a humorous take on the couple’s relationship. During commentary for Channel Nine, he remarked, “I reckon she’s a better skater than he is a boxer.” The comment added a lighthearted twist to the story of a power couple known for supporting each other’s sporting endeavours.
Skeleton Power Couple Go Head-to-Head
Belgium’s Kim Meylemans and Brazil’s Nicole Silveira, ranked first and ninth in the world, are two of the finest skeleton athletes. They are also married, making their head-to-head competition in the official training for the event particularly interesting. Meylemans finished in eighth place, securing spousal bragging rights.
The couple, who tied the knot in 2025, competed together in the Beijing 2022 Games but this is their first event as a married couple. In an Instagram post celebrating their wedding, Meylemans wrote that competing in Italy, where same-sex marriage was not allowed, would be a golden opportunity to “shine a light on marriage equality.”
Sharing is Caring
The Winter Olympics have seen a rise in shared medals, with the number increasing from 30 to 32 by the end of the event. In the men’s team alpine skiing, the Austrian pair of Vincent Kriechmayr and Manuel Feller combined for a time of 2:45:03, matching the Swiss duo Marco Odermatt and Loïc Meillard. Both teams received silver medals, with no bronze awarded.
Hours later, Japan’s Ren Nikaido and Switzerland’s Gregor Deschwanden both finished with 266 points in the men’s normal hill ski jumping, sharing the third step of the podium. This marks the first time since 2018 that shared medals have been awarded. The question remains—what happens to those medals that don’t get awarded?
