Helsinki: The head coach of Finland's national ski jumping team has been sent home from the Winter Olympics after officials stated his conduct violated team rules, the country's Olympic authorities said. Igor Medved, a Slovenian national who has led the Finnish team since June 2024, was dismissed from the games following behavior linked to alcohol use, the Finnish Olympic Committee confirmed.

According to Anadolu Agency, committee representative Janne Hanninen mentioned that the incident was related to alcohol use but did not occur during coaching duties or at competition venues. He declined to provide further details, YLE news reported. The Finnish Ski Association, Medved's employer, has stated that his future as head coach will be reviewed after the Olympics in Italy, emphasizing that the immediate priority is allowing athletes to focus on their competition.

In a voice message, Medved confirmed his departure from the Olympic village and issued an apology. "I am not proud of myself. I apologise to the athletes, coaches, support staff, the Olympic Committee, the Ski Association, and the fans," he stated. Medved explained that he attended a celebration hosted by Slovenia's ski jumping team after it won gold in a mixed team event and noted that alcohol affected him more strongly because he had not eaten. "After the competition, I was invited to Slovenia's gold medal celebration. I hadn't eaten anything, and after that, the alcohol did its job," he added, indicating that he would not comment further publicly.

Medved is a former ski jumper whose competitive career ended in 2003.