Overview
- Leading by 0.59 seconds after the first run, the 25-year-old straddled a gate early in his second run and did not finish.
- Switzerland’s Loic Meillard won gold, Austria’s Fabio Gstrein took silver, and Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen earned bronze.
- He threw his poles, removed his skis, and walked into nearby woods, later explaining he “just needed some time for myself” after the mistake.
- He skipped immediate interviews, spoke with reporters about two hours later, and posted a “Dear Fafao” Instagram letter to his late grandfather, writing “I gave it everything.”
- Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin publicly offered support as fans reacted with empathy to his loss and the pressures of an Olympic error.