An Unusual Moment at the Winter Olympics

A truly unusual moment occurred this week at the Winter Olympics when American Elizabeth Swaney, representing Hungary in this case, completed her halfpipe routine without performing a single trick.

Showing some difficulty even in staying upright on skis, Elizabeth Swaney has been considered by many as the worst skier in the history of the Winter Olympics. What not everyone knows is that she had a master plan that led her to compete in Pyeongchang 2018.

Elizabeth Swaney is currently 33 years old and only learned to ski at 25. Although she was born in the United States, she took advantage of her Hungarian mother to become a citizen of that country, which has very few skiers and hardly any federation licenses.

Later, she enrolled in a freestyle school in Park City (Utah) to perfect her technique. From then on, she participated in competitions with fewer than 30 participants. In the Freestyle World Cup, for example, the top 30 score points, so she qualified for the Winter Olympics simply by not falling off her skis.

"I wanted to prove that freestyle skiing is possible and that it's never too late to get into this sport and help others dream and progress in Hungary. I worked very hard to come here and there are only 24 women in the world who could be in this final. I hope this can be a platform to inspire others," explained Elizabeth after her unusual participation in the Winter Olympics.