ZHANGJIAKOU, China — On page 17 of the official playbook of the 2022 Winter Olympics, under a section bearing the bolded headline, MINIMISE PHYSICAL INTERACTION, attendees are strongly advised to avoid, among other things, hugging. But damned if some ink on paper was going to stop Ashley Caldwell from squeezing out every last drop of feeling Monday night.
For starters, it was minus-10 Fahrenheit at Genting Snow Park, the sort of crazy cold that turns eyelashes into icicles and fingers into freeze pops. Huddling for warmth only seemed like the right thing to do. But there was a deeper reason why the 28-year-old American went from foe to foe at the women’s aerial skiing finish line, wrapping each in a tight embrace even though a slight stumble on the landing of her last run had ensured that she wouldn’t join them on the podium.
“I respect all the athletes out there, but they also, I feel like, respect me,” the 28-year-old American said. “They know also how hard this is. And the hugs make it end, but it also makes you feel better.”
