Two years ago freeskiing lost one of its leading lights, Sarah Burke, after a fatal accident in the Halfpipe. She was a hugely popular athlete and was extremely influential and was instrumental in getting the Halfpipe event into the 2014 Sochi games.
It’s a tragedy that she’ll never compete in an event she was favourite to win and several athletes were keen to mark her passing in Russia. Amongst them is reigning women’s snowboard Halfpipe champion, Torah Bright, who planned to display stickers honouring her friend.
However, the IOC has stepped in to prevent this, claiming that the stickers were a ‘political statement’, something that is banned at the Olympics. With feelings running so high we expect to see the memory of Sarah Burke honoured in some way.