Spectators watching the broadcast of the Milan – Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics were left in shock. They caught the cameras of the Italian snowboarder Rolando Fischnaller (45), on whose helmet there was a Russian flag – a symbol that is prohibited on Olympic sports grounds. The games are already accompanied by an affair with a strong political subtext in the beginning, reports .
The 2015 and 2025 world champion sparked outrage on Sunday (February 8) when he entered the parallel giant slalom with a helmet emblazoned with Russia’s national colours. The current Olympic rules clearly prohibit the presentation of Russian symbols, in connection with the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine.
As reported by football24.ua, the gesture of the Italian representative immediately it provoked sharp reactions on social networks and among journalists, who called it “disgraceful”. It was later revealed that Fischnaller’s helmet was not meant to be dedicated exclusively to Russia. The experienced athlete displayed on it the flags of all the countries in which he participated in the previous six Olympic Games since 2002.
Among them appeared the colors of the USA, Italy, Canada, South Korea and China, as well as the Russian flag, which was supposed to refer to his participation in the Sochi Games in 2014. Despite a rich career, Fischnaller still does not have an Olympic medal to his credit. It didn’t change this time either. He already finished in the quarterfinals of the parallel giant slalom in front of the home audience.
