Team Canada women’s hockey player Jocelyne Larocque evidently believes coming in second is unacceptable at the Winter Olympics. How so? The defensewoman immediately took off her silver medal after receiving it following a heartbreaking shootout loss to the United States.
Canada's Jocelyne Larocque took off her silver medal immediately after receiving it. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/wS6s9ulmoA pic.twitter.com/CcjiKOd58W
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 22, 2018
Larocque defended her actions while speaking with reporters after the game.
“Just hard. We were going for gold,” Larocque said.
Larocque was asked whether winning silver was any consolation. “I mean, yeah. Once we reflect,” she replied. “But now, not at the moment.”
Some have been inspired to accuse Larocque of making an arguable display of poor sportsmanship. Whether or not that is the case is up to one’s perspective. However, it appears those in charge in South Korea were not inclined to allow Larocque off the hook. In fact, an official ordered her to wear it.
Rules are rules: After shunning silver, Jocelyne Larocque ordered to wear medal https://t.co/A69QiYBQiJ #Pyeongchang2018 pic.twitter.com/RdiN5VIrw9
— The Globe and Mail (@globeandmail) February 22, 2018
Via The Globe and Mail:
After leaving the ice heartbroken, and struggling to answer post-game questions for reporters, Larocque had almost made it to the dressing room when an official from hockey’s governing body pulled her aside and gave her a talking to.
Few people witnessed it, but there was Larocque, tears welling up in her eyes, holding her unwanted silver medal, being told by a man in a suit about the “legal” reasons why she can’t refuse to wear it.
This was the Olympics, the official from the International Ice Hockey Federation explained. It doesn’t matter how sad you are. Or how angry, or disappointed. There are rules.
Rules are rules, indeed.