A Canadian ski Olympian was arrested for allegedly stealing a Hummer after a night of drinking.
Dave Duncan, 35, along with wife Maja and technical coach Willy Raine, 48, stole the parked Hummer which Raine proceeded to drive while over the legal blood-alcohol limit in South Korea.
The drunken joyride took place on late Friday evening and was confirmed in a press conference Saturday morning.
All parties have released apologies for the incident.
Canadian freestyle skier Dave Duncan, 35, was arrested with wife Maja (right) and technical coach Willy Raine after stealing a Hummer for a drunken joyride
Duncan’s coach Willy Raine, 48, was arrested for driving with a blood-alcohol level of .16 when the legal limit in South Korea is .05
The Hummer incident, pictured above was, reported by local South Korean authorities
The freestyle skier, wife and manager entered the vehicle that belonged to a 57-year-old tourist visiting the Pyeongchang for the Olympics, according to local reports.
Raine then proceeded to drive the car with a alleged blood-alcohol level of .16, above the legal limit in South Korea of .05, according to Daegwallyeong police.
Reports by The Canadian Press say one of the people in the vehicle was passed out at the time of the arrest.
The three were taken into custody outside the Olympic village near midnight Saturday. They have since been released.
In South Korea drunk driving is an offense that can result in up to three years in prison or a fine of 3million won or $11,750 Canadian, the equivalent of $9,300 in US dollars.
In a press conference on Saturday the Canadian Olympic Committee confirmed it was aware of the police investigation.
‘We can confirm that an incident occurred involving police around midnight Friday, early morning Saturday. We have confirmation that individuals attached to our team were involved in the investigation and they’re cooperating. And we take this matter of course very, very seriously,’ a spokesman said.
‘However until we know the results of the investigation we’re not really in a position to comment further,’ he added.
Raine (left) is Duncan’s technical coach who competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics
Raine (above) smiles in a Canada hat while on the sidelines of the slopes during a ski event
Apology: Team Canada released this statement apologizing for the drunken incident
David and wife Maja released a statement apologizing for the incident.
‘We are deeply sorry. We engaged in behaviour that demonstrated poor judgement and was not up to the standards expected of us as Members of the Canadian Olympic Team or as Canadians.’
Coach Raine offered an apology, extending it to the owner of the car, as well.
‘I would like to apologize profusely for my inexcusable actions. Words are not enough to express how sorry I am. I have let my teammates, friends and my family down. I would also like to apologize to the owner of the vehicle that was involved,’ he said in a statement.
Team Canada revealed that the Korean police have concluded the investigation.
‘The Korean police have concluded their investigation and our team members have been released. We expect our athletes and team members to conduct themselves responsibly and in keeping with our Canadian and Olympic values. We are deeply disappointed in the behaviours of these individuals. All team members are expected to respect the laws of South Korea and all places we compete in around the world,’ a statement said.
Earlier this week Duncan placed 8th in a ski cross event and yesterday took to Instagram to gush about the experience.
‘So this is what an Olympics is supposed to feel like. A solid 8th place here in @pyeongchang2018 My best skiing of the season and an effort I’m proud of,’ Duncan wrote on Instagram just a day before the arrest.
Earlier this week Duncan placed 8th in a ski cross event and took to Instagram to share his joy in the competition
Slippery slope: The three were arrested in the Olympic village and were released from custody
On Wednesday Duncan took to the slopes where he won eighth place in the skiing event