MILAN – The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, a showcase of elite athletic prowess, has unfortunately also become a stage for various disputes and ethical quandaries. As Jacques Rogge, former IOC president, famously articulated at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, "A champion is more than a winner. A champion is someone who respects the rules, rejects doping, and competes in the spirit of fair play." This guiding principle of integrity and fairness has been tested by numerous incidents, spanning from on-ice accusations to off-field political statements and rumors of performance-enhancing procedures.
On-Ice Disputes and Sportsmanship Scrutiny
Allegations of rule-breaking plagued the curling events, particularly involving Canadian teams. On Friday, February 13, the Canadian men's curling team faced accusations of "double touching" the stone during their 8-6 preliminary round victory against Team Sweden. Swedish skip Niklas Edin's squad, led by third Oskar Eriksson, claimed Canada's skip Brad Jacobs' team had committed the infraction. The heated exchange saw Eriksson confront Canadian third Marc Kennedy, an Olympic gold-medalist from the 2010 Vancouver Games, stating, "Apparently, it's OK touching the rock after the hog line."
The World Curling rulebook strictly prohibits players from touching the stone's handle after the hog line or its granite during forward motion, with violations leading to stone removal. Kennedy retorted with expletives, denying the accusation and dismissing Eriksson's offer of video evidence. World Curling officials issued a verbal warning but maintained that video replays are not admissible to "re-umpire game decisions," declaring in-game rulings as final. The controversy continued on Saturday, February 14, when the Canadian women's curling team's skip, Rachel Homan, was penalized for a similar infraction—touching the rock—during their narrow 8-7 loss to Switzerland, leading to her first stone being removed. Homan vociferously denied the charge, stating, "I've never done it in my life," and later expressed disbelief to CBC Olympics, asserting the claim was "so far from the truth, it’s crazy."
Athlete Ethics and Political Statements
Beyond the ice, individual athletes found themselves embroiled in personal and political controversies. Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid, after securing bronze in the men's 20km biathlon, used his Olympic platform to confess publicly to cheating on his former girlfriend. As translated from an NRK transcript, Laegreid stated, "There is someone who may not be watching today. Half a year ago, I met the love of my life, the world's most beautiful, finest person. Three months ago I made the biggest mistake of my life and cheated on her." He expressed profound regret, saying, "I had a gold medal in my life," and later apologized for potentially overshadowing his teammate's victory and drawing his ex-girlfriend "unwillingly into the media spotlight." Laegreid went on to win another bronze in the men's 10km sprint and silver in the 12.5km pursuit.
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych faced disqualification for his intent to wear a helmet honoring over 20 fellow athletes and coaches killed since Russia's invasion nearly four years ago. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), through its president Kirsty Coventry, deemed the helmet a political statement, violating Olympic rules. Heraskevych, who met with Coventry on Thursday, February 12, argued that memorializing the dead was not political and vowed to wear it regardless, leading to his ban. Outside the Cortina Sliding Centre, he described the feeling as "emptiness," later posting on X that this was the "price of our dignity." Coventry acknowledged the "powerful message" of remembrance but emphasized adherence to "the rules and the regulations."
French biathlete Julia Simon achieved gold medals in the women's 15km individual and the biathlon mixed relay, despite having been convicted of theft and credit card fraud less than four months prior. Simon admitted in court to making over $2,300 in online purchases using her teammate Justine Braisaz-Bouchet's credit card. She received a six-month ban from the French Ski Federation, with a five-month probation period allowing her participation in the 2026 Games, alongside a $34,600 fine, of which $17,799 was suspended.
Off-Piste Allegations and National Tensions
A bizarre rumor, dubbed "Penisgate," dominated headlines, suggesting male ski jumpers were using hyaluronic acid injections for penile enlargement to gain a competitive edge. The speculation, initially reported by a German newspaper, gained traction following the 18-month suspension of the Norwegian men’s ski jumping team's head coach and assistant coach for manipulating suit groin areas at the 2025 Nordic ski world championships. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) dismissed these claims as a "wild rumor."
U.S. ski jumpers Jason Colby, Tate Frantz, and Kevin Bickner (a 2018 and 2022 Olympian) all denied undergoing such procedures. However, Colby noted, "Who knows what other teams are doing behind closed doors," adding that "scientifically speaking, it could work." Frantz concurred that an enlarged crotch could provide an advantage, while Bickner considered the use of injections "certainly possible." In figure skating, American duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates secured ice dance silver, narrowly missing gold to France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron. Despite Chock and Bates delivering a season-best free skate, the French pair, who held a 0.46-point lead, won by 1.43 points, sparking controversy over judging. French judge Jezabel Daboui's scores, showing a more than seven-point differential favoring her compatriots, fueled suspicions of bias. Chock expressed concern that such opaque judging "does a disservice to our sport," eroding fan confidence. The U.S. Figure Skating opted not to appeal the results.
The Games also saw political ripples from the U.S. American freestyle halfpipe skier Hunter Hess voiced "mixed emotions" about representing the U.S. amidst domestic political unrest, stating, "Wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S." His comments drew a sharp rebuke from former President Donald Trump on Truth Social, who called Hess "a real loser" and suggested he "shouldn’t have tried out for the Team." Similarly, American figure skater Amber Glenn paused her social media activity due to backlash received for advocating LGBTQ+ rights, expressing disappointment at the "harm" wished upon her.
Finally, the reported presence of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, a unit within ICE, in Milan for security purposes ignited protests in Italy. While Nicole Deal, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chief Security Officer, confirmed on February 5 that ICE agents were not part of the Team USA delegation, she could not comment on their involvement in the broader U.S. Embassy security plan. In response to protest concerns, three U.S. Olympic winter sport national governing bodies—U.S. Figure Skating, USA Hockey, and U.S. Speedskating—renamed their hospitality venue from "The Ice House" to "The Winter House." British-American skier Gus Kenworthy, who previously competed for Team USA before representing Great Britain in 2026, graphically expressed his disapproval of ICE by sharing a photo of himself urinating the words "(Expletive) ICE" in the snow.
