At the Winter Olympics in Milan, the 20-year-old athlete performed brilliantly, winning medals in both the team event and the women's singles skating. However, the joyful moment after the award ceremony turned into a mishap: during the exuberant celebration, the medal detached from its ribbon and fell onto a hard surface, sustaining noticeable damage.
According to Liu, she jumped for joy, and at that moment, the medal's attachment couldn't withstand the excitement. Although this "battle" award is very dear to her, the figure skater decided to take the opportunity and requested a duplicate. It is important to note that the regulations do not require the return of a damaged medal, and the Olympic organizers typically accommodate athletes by allowing them to replace damaged awards.
At the current Games, Liu demonstrated outstanding results. In the team competition, she represented the USA alongside Ilia Malinin, and in the individual event, she scored over 226 points, surpassing strong competitors, including Japanese figure skater Kaori Sakamoto.
Incidents like this are not unusual in world sports. Previously, athletes from various countries have encountered similar situations where medals could not withstand the exuberant celebrations of victory. Replacing a medal in such cases is a technical matter and does not affect the official results of the competitions.
