Austrian snowboarder delivered a tribute to his childhood hero, while there was a shocking moment in the downhill
B
etween the icy air and Olympic pressure, you might expect athletes to bundle up at the Milano Cortina Games – but not Benjamin Karl. The Austrian snowboarder, 40 years old and competing in his fifth Olympic Games, powered to victory in the men’s parallel giant slalom on Sunday, claiming his second consecutive gold medal.
And because no perfect Olympic moment is complete without a little flair, Karl’s celebration quickly became one of the standout images of the day. Moments after crossing the line, he ripped off his shirt, flexed to the cameras, dropped on to the snow face down and pumped his arms in triumph.
The move was not spontaneous, though. It was a long-planned tribute to the Austrian skiing legend Hermann Maier, Karl’s childhood hero, who once celebrated in much the same way. “He was one of the greatest skiers of all time in Austria and he once did this,” Karl said. “I always wanted to do the same. I lost the chance in Beijing because I was so overwhelmed from emotions, and today I took the chance. I needed to wait 25 years to make this pose like Hermann Maier. Now I did it and this is the crown of my career.”
