OLYMPIC SPIRIT.

Finnish cross-country skier Iivo Niskanen, already assured of the 15 km gold medal on Friday, waited for the last competitor in the race, Colombian Carlos Andres Quintana to congratulate him behind the finish line.

"I told him + well done +, explained Niskanen at a press conference. All athletes must respect each other, everyone has done a lot of work to be here."

Starting in penultimate position in this race, contested like a time trial, Quintana was overtaken by the two slender competitors after him and ranked dead last, 17 minutes and 47 seconds from the winner of the day.

The 36-year-old Colombian only started cross-country skiing three years ago.

"We need to show that kind of respect at the Olympics," added the Finn.

GOAT.

"She's one of the greatest skiers of all time, it doesn't matter that she's gone out twice in two races, it doesn't take away from who she is in my opinion."

The tribute comes from the Czech Ester Ledecka, 5th in the super-G, in the direction of the American Mikaela Shiffrin, 9th after having missed the start of her Games with two outings in giant and slalom.

(AFP)

Czech skier Ester Ledecka ranked 5th in the Beijing Games super-G in Yanqing, February 11, 2022 Dimitar DILKOFF AFP

"When we say to ourselves that everything was created for this event, it's incredible, the infrastructures, the village. It's like being in a merry-go-round placed there for us, we take advantage of it", indicated the French giant Cyprien Sarrazin, about discovering the brand new Yanqing Ski Area.

(AFP)

HOCKEY.

Asked about the winter Olympic sports he would most and least like to try if he weren't a figure skater, Beijing gold medalist Nathan Chen gave his preference to ice hockey.

"All winter sports are pretty crazy. There's luge, skeleton, bobsleigh, half-pipe" which "are of such a high level that all of them seem terrifying to me (laughs)", explained the 22 year old American.

"I also grew up playing hockey, so it's a sport that I really enjoyed playing. It's fun to be able to have that team aspect, (because) of course, when you skate, you is all alone," Chen pointed out.

"I would choose hockey, although with my stature I probably wouldn't do very well.

American skater Nathan Chen crowned Olympic champion on the podium in Beijing, February 10, 2022 Manan VATSYAYANA AFP

PHANTOM.

"From start to finish, I didn't know how to be myself. I didn't know how to be myself on the mat, on the skis."

Biathlete Julia Simon had a hard time explaining her poor performance in the sprint, an event she finished far from her standards, 29th with 3 shooting errors just under two minutes behind the new Olympic champion, the Norwegian Marte Olsbu Roeiseland.

“I did what I could, unfortunately, there was absolutely nothing. that nothing happens …”, regretted with spite Julia Simon.

(AFP)

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