Olympic Judges Gave the Big Air Winner a Cheeky Score During His Victory Lap
Birk Ruud secured his gold medal during his first two runs, so the judges had some fun on his third.
The Olympics often offer heartwarming, inspiring, and incredible stories; rarely do they offer funny ones. Which is understandable, it's very hard to make it to the world's biggest sporting event, and there is a lot at stake for everyone involved. But, during Birk Ruud's final run during the Men's Freestyle Skiing Big Air competition, there was room for a bit of fun.
Ruud had already secured a gold medal with his first two runs. His final run would just be a victory lap. The Norwegian skier held his country's flag in one hand and proceeded to do a pretty impressive flip with the other.
And even though it didn't matter, the six judges of the event awarded Ruud a score: 69s all across the board.
It's a pretty memorable way to end any Olympics, but even more so because this was Ruud's first Olympics and his first gold medal. Ruud dedicated his win to his father, who passed away last year. "Papa, you're with me," Ruud said while on the podium.
So, even the rare goofy moment at the Olympics still comes with a tearjerker moment.
You can watch the entire Men's Freestyle Skiing Big Air event on NBC.com. Ruud's final, 69 scoring run is in the final portion of the video.
Check back during the Games for all of Thrillist's continuing Olympics coverage. Think of us like an all-knowing friend watching along with you to answer all the most important questions, like how heavy Olympic medals are, or how you can tell the difference between luge, skeleton, and bobsled. We'll explain everything fromwhy the triple axel is such a big deal, to how the Russian team found a sneaky way to wear its flag despite a ban, and much, much more.
Opheli Garcia Lawler is a staff writer at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.