Sport2 min(s) read
Published 14:02 17 Feb 2022 GMT
A Russian speedskater has apologized for flashing his middle fingers in victory after beating Team USA men's squad in a semi-final pursuit on Tuesday.
Daniil Aldoshkin appeared to flip off his rivals as he crossed the finish line in an Olympic-record-breaking time alongside teammates Sergei Trofimov and Ruslan Zakharov.
The lightning-quick time guaranteed the Russian team a medal in the Beijing Winter Olympic event and bought them a ticket to the gold-medal showdown with Norway.
RT reports that the 20-year-old has since apologized for making the rude gesture, saying that he got caught up in the moment but didn't mean to offend anyone.
"I threw up my hands, I have the first medal, the first Olympics," Aldoshkin reportedly said, adding: "I didn't mean anything like that. I'm sorry if this offended anyone."
Russian Skating Union president Alexei Kravtsov also apologized for the young athlete's behavior, saying: "On behalf of the Russian Skating Union, we offer our official apologies."
However, he made it clear that Aldoshkin should not face undue criticism for what was essentially just "an outburst of emotion".
"Emotions took over at the finish line, there was no subtext in this action," he said, adding: "We are sorry if someone differently perceived this situation and (it) offended someone."
The 34-year-old speedskating veteran - who won Russia an Olympic gold medal in 2014 - went on to say that the gesture was not aggressive or disrespectful against the U.S. team, but a celebration of the Russian team's record-smashing time.
"In speed skating, we fight against time, not against an opponent. It was purely an emotional reaction," Zakharov explained.
The Russian team lost to Norway in the final race, meaning they finished with silver medals in the men's speedskating event. Meanwhile, the U.S. team of Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman, and Joey Mantia earned themselves bronze medals by defeating the Netherlands' team in the next round.
