US Edition
Olympic Meltdown: Norwegian Skier Loses Gold, Then Control of Emotions
After missing a gate that cost him a likely gold, Atle Lie McGrath sought solitude in nearby woods, coping with personal grief during the Olympic slalom final.
- On Monday, Atle Lie McGrath saw his gold-medal hopes slip away in the Olympic slalom at the Milan Cortina Games in Bormio, after straddling a gate in the final run.
- Straddling a gate in the final run cost McGrath a medal after a strong first run that had positioned him to win Olympic gold.
- He then tossed his poles over the safety netting, climbed the fencing and walked through the snow toward the nearby woods where photographers and police later found him.
- In its immediate fallout, McGrath lost control of his emotions after the race, later meeting media more than two hours later at a Bormio hotel, while the Swiss team apologized for a coach's celebration.
- Racing under personal strain, McGrath wore an armband tribute after his grandfather died on the opening ceremony day, and teammate Timon Haugan said the team needs to back him up.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Olympic Skier Explains His Walk to the Woods
Norwegian slalom star Atle Lie McGrath came to the start gate chasing a gold medal and ended up hunting for quiet in the trees. The 25-year-old, leading after the first run in Bormio on Monday, missed a gate on his second run, erasing not just gold but any spot on...
The Norwegian athlete told of his emotions and his "fuga" after the fall in Slalom special male
The Billings Gazette
Winston-Salem JournalNorway's McGrath has meltdown in slalom
Norway's Atle Lie McGrath saw his gold-medal hopes slip away in the Olympic slalom and decided to send his ski poles sailing along with them. He tossed each pole over the netting, then climbed the fencing on the side of…
The top favorite stepped on a gate in Monday's competition, was eliminated, and threw a tantrum. He described the emotional rollercoaster he went through.
Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath described his retirement in the final slalom run on Monday, where he was on course to win the Olympic gold medal, as the most difficult moment of his career. The Norwegian, who threw down his poles and walked off the ski slope towards the forest after the retirement, explained that he just needed a few moments of peace, German news agency dpa reported.
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