Finland’s ski jumping head coach, Igor Medved, has apologised after being sent home for violating team rules by drinking alcohol at the Winter Olympics.
The news was confirmed by the Finnish Olympic committee, who said that Medved had left Italy due to “alcohol-related issues”.
“Medved has travelled home today,” said Janne Hänninen, head of elite sports at the Finnish Olympic Committee. “This is about alcohol-related issues. We take rule violations very seriously and will act quickly in the matter.”
Hänninen refused to go into further details about Medved’s behaviour, which the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet has described as a “drunkeness scandal”. However he added: “The priority is to ensure peace of mind for the athletes and the coaching staff.”
Meanwhile Marleena Valtasola, the executive director of the Finnish Ski Federation, said that they would decide on Medved’s future after the Games.
“An unpleasant situation has arisen: alcohol was consumed in violation of team rules,” she said. “We have decided that Medved will not participate in the Olympics. The other issues will be discussed with him after the Games. Now it is essential to safeguard the athletes’ concentration and restore serenity to the team and for Igor.
“We have a solid staff in place and we are confident we can handle the situation in the best possible way,” she added.
Medved, who took charge of the Finnish team in June 2024, also apologised for his behaviour that took place outside working hours but broke agreed standards.
“I made a mistake and am very sorry,” he said. “I want to apologise to the entire Finnish team, the athletes and also the fans. I wish the team peace and quiet to focus on the Olympics.”
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