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Olympic Meltdown: Norway's Atle Lie McGrath Loses Gold Medal in Slalom, Then Control of Emotions
Atle Lie McGrath lost his medal chance after straddling a gate and reacted emotionally, racing under the strain of his grandfather's recent death, officials said.
- On Feb. 16, 2026, Atle Lie McGrath walked off the Stelvio course after skiing out in the men's slalom and left the finish area without speaking.
- McGrath had been racing with a heavy heart after his grandfather died on the day of the opening ceremony, and he wore a tribute armband while competing.
- After a strong first run as the first-run leader, Atle Lie McGrath straddled a gate on his second run and was out, while Loic Meillard won.
- He tossed his poles over the netting, climbed the course fencing, and walked toward the nearby woods where he sat in the snow and was checked by medical personnel.
- Amid those reactions, teammates called the episode part of an Olympic "meltdown" with one saying `It's just heartbreaking` and urging `we need to really back him up today`.
76 Articles
76 Articles
The drama surrounding slalom ace Atle Lie McGrath has captivated the ski world and drawn the attention of many sports stars. It's not just the bitter end in the Olympic slalom, despite leading at the halfway point, that's troubling the Norwegian. Above all, the death of his beloved grandfather has left its mark. After sharing his emotions in an Instagram post, the Norwegian has received a flood of support. "Dear Fafao! I gave it my all. I pursue…
Skier Who Stormed Off the Course and Tossed His Poles After Losing Out on Gold Calls It 'Worst Moment of My Career'
Atlie Lie McGrath had hoped to win gold for his late grandfather, who died on the day of the opening ceremonyAtlie Lie McGrath after not finishing his second run of men's slalom at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 16. Christian Petersen/GettyNEED TO KNOWAtlie Lie McGrath had his gold medal dreams crushed in the final moments of the men's slalom final on Feb. 16His reaction went viral, with him storming off to lie down in the snow aloneMcGrath is…
For Atle Lie McGrath, these Olympic Winter Games could not be more terrible. He leads in the slalom after the first round, leads in, leaves - and wants to be alone after that. Behind his grief is more than just the sporting disappointment.
Norwegian skier has epic meltdown after costly error with Olympic gold in sight during slalom event
Blizzard conditions wreaked havoc on Olympic alpine skiing on Monday, as 52 of 96 competitors failed to finish the race, while Atle Lie McGrath showed his frustration.
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