Elizabeth Swaney’s trick-free half-pipe run at this year’s Olympic games has caused a bit of a stir among fans and officials.
The U.S.-born Swaney, is competing for Team Hungary but when it came time for her qualifying run she just liesurely skied the half-pipe without doing a single trick
and it was an oddly captivating.
How freeskier Elizabeth Swaney made it to the #WinterOlympics with this very simple halfpipe run: https://t.co/enfDyoQjGC pic.twitter.com/kHTAV7XND4
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 20, 2018
Unsurprisingly, she didn’t qualify for the finals. She has stirred up a lot of controversy and headlines like
– “The Winter Olympics Feature 2,951 Of The World’s Greatest Athletes, And Also This Woman”
and
“Winter Olympics: Elizabeth Swaney the ‘best’ and worst’ Olympian”
Some love her
Elizabeth Swaney has finally validated my mantra of work smarter, not harder. Godspeed, Olympian.
— Donny Watson (@BadLuckDonny) February 20, 2018
and others point out the unfairness to the other competitors
That’s my problem with it… it’s a slap in the face to the women who have worked there whole lives to compete in this event
— Nick Schoenberger (@nickscho303) February 20, 2018
But how did she make it all the way to the Olympics??
Well…according to NBC Olympics, there are 24 spots in the field, and each nation can only send its top four skiers to the women’s half-pipe. Swaney, who is ranked No. 34 in the world, was able to make it due to injuries and some countries not using all their spots.
She’s hoping her memorable half-pipe run inspires others to get off the couch. She told Reuters, “I want to show others that freestyle skiing is possible and it is never too late to get into this sport, and to help others to dream and to progress the sport in Hungary. I hope this can be a platform to inspire others.”
