Benoît Richaud is working on the ice with 13 countries, with uniform changes to match, and Korean skiers are having nightmares on wax
Domen Prevc set a men’s ski jump world record of 254.5m on the Planica flying hill in Slovenia last March, known for its steepness and long jumps. Germany’s Philipp Raimund sat it out – he suffers from vertigo. “From time to time, I have the issue that my body is reacting without me controlling it,” he said. “It’s like I am just observing myself while something has a tight grip on me.”
Still without a World Cup win on his CV heading to these Games, the 25-year-old Raimund stunned the field, including sixth-placed Prevc, and himself to win gold in Monday’s normal hill individual event with jumps of 135.6m and 138.5m. “I don’t know how I did it but I’m so, so proud that I managed to do it,” he said. Raimund goes again in the long hill event on Saturday looking to do an extraordinary double.
Figure skating viewers may have thought they were seeing double as the French coach and choreographer Benoît Richaud appeared rinkside in multiple national team jackets within minutes. The 38-year-old is working with 16 skaters from 13 countries at Milano Cortina, seven of whom competed in one night during the men’s short programme – sometimes in immediate succession, requiring rapid changes of allegiance and attire. His costume swaps are coordinated behind the scenes, with jackets stored in dressing rooms or held by team staff to ensure he reaches each skater in time and is ready in the proper team colours at the “kiss-and-cry”, which is well equipped with conveniently placed Puffs tissues, a sponsor for US figure skating, for happy or sad tears.
