Share

Ranting French skier sent home from Olympics

Pyeongchang - French alpine skier Mathieu Faivre, the partner of American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin, has been expelled from the Winter Olympics over angry comments made after a race at the weekend.

The 26-year-old was sent packing from Pyeongchang by the zero-tolerance French team following remarks made to journalists after finishing seventh behind winner Marcel Hirscher in the men's giant slalom.

READ: It's a DNF for SA's Wilson at Winter Olympics

"Mathieu will return to France for disciplinary reasons," David Chastan, director for French men's skiing, told AFP on Monday.

"He made remarks after the race that were not in the spirit of the team and will not be retained for the team event."

Faivre was asked after the giant slalom about French skiers filling four of the top seven spots in Sunday's race, led by bronze medallist Alexis Pinturault.

"If you only knew what I think about the group collective," snapped Faivre, who bagged team gold at last year's world championships in St Moritz.

"I'm here to race for myself only. Don't expect miracles - eighth is my best place in the World Cup."

Faivre, who has since apologised on social media, said he had been "disgusted with the result" after looking up to see his position.

"I felt I was skiing well in the second run but when I saw where I'd finished it was like a slap in the face."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1778 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE