"I Made A Mistake" Coach Apologizes...Finland Ski Jump Head Expelled From Winter Olympics Over Alcohol

Alcohol Violation at Winter Olympics Leads to Expulsion and Repatriation
Finnish Ski Association to Decide Additional Sanctions After the Games

The head coach of Finland's national ski jumping team has been expelled from the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics for an alcohol-related issue.

Igor Medved, head coach of Finland's ski jumping team. Screenshot from The Guardian

On February 12 (local time), the Finnish Olympic Committee announced that Igor Medved, head coach of the national ski jumping team, had been ordered to return home. According to the Finnish media outlet Helsinki Times, Medved violated team rules regarding alcohol consumption during the Games, and the Finnish Ski Association and the Finnish Olympic Committee decided to expel him in accordance with their internal regulations. The Finnish Ski Association stated, "We will review this matter again after the Olympics and will take appropriate follow-up measures."

Medved, who is from Slovenia, was appointed head coach of Finland's national ski jumping team ahead of the 2024-2025 season. He bowed his head, saying, "I made a mistake and I am truly sorry," and added, "I apologize to the entire Finnish national team, the athletes, and all the fans."