Finland Sends Ski Jumping Coach Home Over Alcohol Violation

Finland's ski jumping head coach Igor Medved has been sent home from the Winter Olympics over an alcohol-related issue, officials said Thursday. The country's Olympic committee described his behavior as a violation of team conduct rules but gave no further details.

The swift and decisive action came as a shock to observers, particularly given that Medved had only recently taken the helm of Finland's historically strong ski jumping program. Medved took over as coach of the Finland ski jumping team in June 2024 — meaning his tenure lasted just eight months before ending in disgrace on the sport's biggest stage.

"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.

Medved issued an apology following his removal. "I made a mistake and I am very sorry," he said in a statement. "I want to apologize to the entire Finnish team, the athletes and also the fans.

The Slovenian-born coach offered no explanation or context for the incident, instead focusing his brief public comments on wishing his former charges well for the remainder of the competition. Officials from both the Finnish Olympic Committee and the Finnish Ski Federation declined to provide specifics about what Medved had done, citing only that alcohol had been consumed in violation of team rules.

Executive director of the Finnish Ski Federation Marleena Valtasola said Medved's future with the program would be decided following the Winter Games. "An unpleasant situation has arisen: alcohol was consumed in violation of team rules," Valtasola said. "We have decided that Medved will not participate in the Olympics. The other issues will be discussed with him after the Games. Now it is essential to safeguard the athletes' concentration and restore serenity to the team and for Igor."

It was also announced that Medved continues to be employed by the Finnish Ski Association, with a final determination on his position to be reached after the Olympics conclude. Whether he retains his post beyond Milan-Cortina remains an open question — one that will be answered only after the competitions end and tempers have cooled.

The timing of Medved's dismissal could hardly be worse for Finnish ski jumpers. Medved had been leading Finland's ski jumping squad in Milano-Cortina, and had steered the team to sixth place in Tuesday's mixed team competition. While sixth place is respectable, it represents a disappointing result for a nation with deep ski jumping tradition and higher expectations.

More critically, the removal comes with significant competitions still ahead. Finland has yet to medal in any of the first three ski jumping events at these Games. Men's and women's large hill training started Thursday. The men's and women's large hill individual finals will be held Saturday and Sunday, respectively, in Trento, Italy. The team will now face these crucial competitions without the coach who had prepared them.

"We have a solid staff in place, and we are confident we can handle the situation in the best possible way,"  Valtasola assured supporters, emphasizing that the remaining coaching staff is capable of guiding the athletes through the remainder of the Olympics.

Medved's dismissal is the latest in a series of off-field controversies that have overshadowed athletic performances at these Games. The 2026 Games have been hit by yet another controversy, with Medved's removal coinciding with Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych being disqualified for making a 'political statement' — a reference to his helmet honoring fallen Ukrainian athletes in the war with Russia.

For Finland, a nation that prides itself on discipline and professionalism in winter sports, the episode represents an embarrassing chapter in what was supposed to be a celebration of athletic excellence. The athletes now face the difficult task of refocusing on competition while processing the sudden departure of their leader — and the knowledge that their coach's mistake, not their performances, has become the story.