Twitter users aren’t thrilled about the slew of American skiers who decided to drop out of the upcoming team event in Pyeongchang at the last minute.
The Alpine skiing team event may be lacking in star quality as Lindsey Vonn became the latest high-profile athlete to announce she likely won’t be taking part in the inaugural team event scheduled for Saturday.
Several people took to social media on Monday to express their anger toward the quitters and poor sports.
‘These athletes are so into themselves, who the hell cares if the likes of Vonn races or not. Spoiled brats,’ one user wrote.
‘@lindseyvonn giving up opportunity to represent USA just because you don’t have a “strong chance of winning a medal”. BAD SPORTSMANSHIP!!!!! Hope a lesser known skier beats u in downhill,’ another said.
Twitter users heavily criticized America’s Olympic skiers after several shunned the inaugural team event
Others also blasted Vonn, who has already received criticism for her Anti-Trump remarks.
‘This is what happens when you find out you are irrelevant and the best you can do is 6th place but they wont give you an award for it, like they did in 5th grade,’ a user wrote.
‘Well she sucks so I wouldn’t want her on my team either,’ another said, while someone else added, ‘Did she stay away because she was still chocking in her hotel room this time?’
And one more: ‘#MikaelaShirrfrin has the nerve to ‘pull out’ of Wednesday’s event after I’ve stuck it out watching over privileged brats slide downhill for 2 weeks, & then reveals she only dates French dudes.
‘So not American, laziness & not giving her loins to a United States male. #Unpatriotic’
Marcel Hirscher, who has claimed two gold medals in Pyeongchang, previously ruled out competing for Austria before the start of the Olympics because he felt it would compromise his bid to win a seventh successive World Cup overall title.
Lindsey Vonn, pictured February 19 at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Jeongseon, South Korea, became the latest high-profile athlete to announce she likely won’t be taking part in Saturday’s inaugural team event
Some blasted Vonn, who has already received heavy criticism for her Anti-Trump remarks.
Norwegian speed racers Aksel Lund Svindal, the men’s downhill champion, and Kjetil Jansrud have headed back to Europe after the completion of their individual events.
American Ted Ligety said he would race in the event if overall World Cup leader Mikaela Shiffrin did, but on Sunday he confirmed his run in the men’s giant slalom had brought an end to his Pyeongchang Olympics.
‘I was an absolute no before but I was thinking about it,’ Vonn said on Monday.
‘But now Ted´s gone and Mikaela is not doing it and so I don’t really think we have a strong chance of getting a medal since none of our top athletes are doing it so I probably won’t.’
American Ted Ligety, shown February 18 during the Olympic Alpine Skiing Men’s Giant Slalom on day nine, also confirmed his run in the men’s giant slalom had been brought to an end to
Ligety said he would race in the event if overall World Cup leader Mikaela Shiffrin, pictured February 15 at the Olympic Ladies’ Giant Slalom on day six of, did as well
Hirscher, favourite to win a third gold in the men’s slalom on Thursday, had said competing in the team event would allow him insufficient time to get to Slovenia for the resumption of the World Cup next week.
‘It would be a big honour to start for Austria but… it is not possible,’ the 28-year-old said.
‘If you do the team event, four days later you are back in Europe at Kranjska Gora in the giant slalom, no time for preparation, no time for recovery, no time for getting used to European time.
‘So, it would be great to be there but if I’m professional, it is not possible.’
The inaugural team event is expected to be the climax to the program and will bring mixed sex competition, knockout racing and parallel skiing to the Olympic Alpine slopes for the first time.
The team event, an attempt by the governing International Ski Federation to refresh the Alpine program, will be contested by 16 teams on a knockout basis with the winners of the final round taking gold.