Olympic Games 2026: Mathis Desloges on the brink of disqualification
There were still two laps to go in the skiathlon at the Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina when Frenchman Mathis Desloges decided to take the lead of the leading group on the return to the stadium. But in his haste, he cut the bend and had to slalom between the markers to find the right track. A forbidden manoeuvre, for which he was immediately shown a yellow card.
“I went ahead on the straight and cut the corner too short. I wasn’t thinking at all. It didn’t benefit me at all. It was an unintentional mistake on my part. I deserved the yellow card,” he told France 3.
A Russian appeal, but the jury doesn’t budge
Torbjoern Broks Pedersen, who regularly sits on competition juries, agrees with this analysis on NRK . It had no effect on the final result,” he says, “unlike in an individual race. He gains nothing. He went into the bend first, made a mistake and came out on top. If he had been last, made a mistake and come out on top, there would have been an advantage. For these reasons, Norway has not lodged a protest , as TV2 reports.
But two laps later, Mathis Desloges managed to secure a podium finish, snatching second place on the line. Neutral Saveliy Korostelev was fourth, so the Russian clan lodged a protest. A jury met and finally decided to stand by its initial decision. This allowed the blue clan to win their first medal of the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina… but not without a scare.
- Cross-country skiing: Mathis Desloges a splendid second in the skiathlon, a triumph for Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo
- Cross-country skiing: photo album and video of the fabulous silver medal won by Mathis Desloges in the skiathlon
- Cross-country skiing: Mathis Desloges becomes the second French individual Olympic medallist, the first in distance
- Cross-country skiing: the medals table and the full list of winners at the Milan/Cortina 2026 Olympic Games
