Russian skier disqualified for stealing German athlete’s skis at 2026 Olympics
Illustration photo: Olympics 2026 (Getty Images)
Neutral Russian skier Dariia Nepriaieva was disqualified from the 50 km mass start at the 2026 Winter Olympics following an incident. She took the skis of one of her competitors, according to the official decision published on the Games’ website.
During a ski change mid-race, the athlete ''mistakenly'' took German skier Katharina Dotzler’s equipment. As a result, Dotzler had to find another pair of skis to continue competing.
According to her, the replacement skis were slower than the ones she had planned to use. The German athlete finished ninth, 8 minutes and 48.2 seconds behind the winner Ebba Andersson.
Germany’s head coach, Peter Schlickenrieder, told Suspilne.Sport that the team tried to find a quick solution so the athlete could continue the race. Initially, they considered using Nepryayeva’s skis, but the judges did not allow it.
The team had to find a new pair that had not passed prior testing, clean them, and prepare them during the competition itself. The coaching staff received notice of the ski replacement less than 100 meters from the equipment exchange zone.
After the finish, Nepriaieva’s result was annulled, and she was officially disqualified. Schlickenrieder supported the jury’s decision, emphasizing that the sanction was necessary to uphold fair competition principles and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Earlier, we reported that Ukraine would not broadcast the 2026 Paralympics ceremony due to Russian and Belarusian flags. Suspilne Sport refused to air the opening ceremony of the 2026 Paralympic Games because athletes from Russia and Belarus are participating under their own flags. Ukraine’s athletes’ competitions will be broadcast in full.
