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Rival Punches Olympic Champion in World Cup Ski Cross Heat, Not Disqualified

Race officials issued a yellow card with relegation, prompting questions about safety in a contact-heavy event.

Overview

  • The quarterfinal in Gällivare, Sweden saw France’s Youri Duplessis-Kergomard punch Italy’s Simone Deromedis during a jump.
  • Deromedis fell off the course, was recorded as DNF, and was eliminated from the event without reinstatement.
  • The race jury issued a yellow card to Duplessis-Kergomard and moved him from first to fourth in the heat.
  • After the ruling, he protested to the jury and remained eligible to race the following day.
  • A Eurosport IT video of the hit spread online, and coverage questioned whether the penalty matched the act in a sport known for contact.