Winter Olympics: Skier slams organisers after course worker gets in her way on slalom run

Bulgaria's Eva Vukadinova (R) reacts as a technician is still on the course after leaving a tool on the pole during the first run of the women's slalom during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games (AFP via Getty Images)

Alpine skier Eva Vukadinova slammed Winter Olympic organisers after a course worker got in her way during her first women’s slalom run.

The Bulgarian was forced off the course as she tried to avoid the worker, who had left a tool attached to one of the gates.

Vukadinova, 20, was allowed another attempt but took to Instagram to complain that it was “not the same” and that the incident had left her “beyond disappointed.”

“I STILL CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED TODAY,” the skier, who broke her hand in the giant slalom earlier this week, wrote.

“First of all, a lot of emotions are going through me right now. I cannot even describe what i felt after that first run.

“I thought ‘Why me?’, ‘Why didn’t that happen to any of the top 30 girls?’, ‘Could that even happen to any of them?’, ‘Is that even fair?’

“I don’t know what the right answer to those questions is. All I know is that even with a fractured hand, I skied very good (before that guy decided just to leave the metal on the gate). I showed myself that I can, that i am strong, that i can get through anything!”

And she added that having to immediately re-do her run was not fair on her.

“Not when you have to ski down to the chair lift, go up, go down the start (with my race ski) and start almost immediately. Sure, I may be not a top level skier or fighting for the podium, but I also worked a lot to get here!!! Don’t I at least deserve the same CHANCE like everyone else?”

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A post shared by Eva Vukadinova (@evaalpin)

Vukadinova added that the incident “happened for a reason” and that she was thankful not to have been hurt.

“One thing is to be on course to fix something, other thing is to leave a heavy metal like that on the gate. And on top of that to pretend that it’s completely normal,” she wrote.

“I am sad, really sad, but also happy and proud of myself that i was fighting till the end. I will also never get rid of the smile on my face, cause nothing can bring me down.”