Olympics: Austin Florian’s helmet goes viral
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American Olympic skeleton competitor Austin Florian captured social media attention on Wednesday due to the incredible design of his equipment.
Florian raced in the heat wearing a helmet that resembled the comic book character Venom. Olympic fans on social media were mesmerized by the artwork.
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Austin Florian of the United States starts the men’s skeleton race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
He finished the first round in 14th place with a time of 56.95. This was the best start in the field and boded well for the mixed team event later in the Games. In the second round, he rose to 13th place with a time of 1:53.54. The third heat will begin late Friday.
Florian’s teammate Dan Barefoot finished 19th despite suffering a serious shoulder injury.
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Austin Florian of the United States begins men’s skeleton training at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
The entire event was overshadowed by the controversy that occurred earlier Thursday. Ukrainian Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Olympics for refusing to wear a helmet, allegedly not making a political statement. His helmet featured Ukrainian athletes and coaches who were victims of the country’s war with Russia.
Florian said he was aware of the controversy because Heraskevych was ready to compete before him.
“We’re generally pretty focused on what we’re doing. We’re aware of that,” Florian said. “Obviously, everyone is aware of that. And we try not to let it get to us, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, and at the end of the day, he’s going to do what he’s going to do. And it’s very sad.”
Austin Florian of the United States reaches the finish during men’s skeleton training at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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England’s Matt Weston led the field after the first two heats.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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