As the 2026 Winter Olympics enter the second week of competition, Finland’s ski jumping head coach Igor Medved has been removed from the games and sent home.
According to ESPN, Medved was removed due to alcohol related issues that violate the team’s code of conduct rules.
Medved allegedly consumed alcohol at a gold medal party, during his free time, and not while he was coaching at the ski jump tower. Other countries’ federations have myriad rules for conduct while at the Olympics, and it is likely that Finland imposes a zero-alcohol policy, making even one drink in the coach’s free time a rules violation.
"Medved traveled home today. The matter concerns issues related to alcohol use. We take violations of the team's rules very seriously and reacted to the situation quickly," Janne Hanninen, head of the Finnish team, said in a statement.
Related: Track Coach Rana Reider Forced out of Olympics for Misconduct
Medved also released a statement, apologizing for his actions. "I made a mistake and I am very sorry," he said. "I want to apologize to the entire Finnish team, the athletes and also the fans."
The future of Medved’s employment has now been brought into question as the executive director for the Finnish Ski Federation, Marleena Valtasola, told Inside the Games, “his long-term employment status will only be addressed after the Games conclude.”
