Olympic athlete arrested in Pyeongchang after stealing a Hummer
While Team Canada had a successful Winter Olympics, winning more medals than it ever has, it fell short in the sports that are most cherished by Canadians.
Its women’s hockey team was beaten by rival Team USA in the gold medal game, losing 3-2 in the sixth frame of a shootout. Afterward, Canadian defender Jocelyne Larocque was widely criticized for removing her silver medal as soon as it was placed around her neck.
Its men’s hockey team would have been happy with silver, falling 4-3 to Germany in a shocking semifinal upset. (The disappointing Canadians won the bronze with a 6-4 victory over the Czech Republic.)
Its men’s and women’s curling teams failed to bring home any medal at all for the first time since the sport returned to the Winter Olympics in 1998.
All of that led to talk of a nation in “mourning” after blows to its “psyche.”
Perhaps that helps to explain the behavior of three Canadians — one of them an Olympic athlete — in Pyeongchang.
Ski cross racer David Duncan; his wife, Maja; and his trainer, Willy Raine, were arrested Saturday after police say they stole an idling Humvee and drove it while intoxicated.
Dave Duncan and his wife Maja picture,stealing a Hummer for a drunken joyride https://t.co/AL2AjuIs78 pic.twitter.com/63L2myrE6c
— infowe (@infowe) February 24, 2018
Toronto Star sports columnist Bruce Arthur described what happened:
“Details were fuzzy, but the basic version was that they were drinking in the neighbourhood of Daegwallyeong-ri, not far from the Olympic Stadium. A tourist had left his Humvee running … and the inebriated Canucks piled in and drove off for the athletes village in Pyeongchang, which wasn’t very far away either.
“They were pulled over near the village; they were, according to photographs acquired by local media, wearing red Team Canada jackets, red Team Canada vests, red Canada team toques, and red Team Canada boots.”
Daegwallyeong police said Raine was the one behind the wheel and he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16 — more than triple the legal limit of 0.05 in South Korea.
“If true,” wrote Arthur, “this is a laundry list of painfully stupid behaviour.”
It appears to be true. The Canadian Olympic Committee confirmed the incident.
“We expect our athletes and team members to conduct themselves responsibly and in keeping with our Canadian and Olympic values,” said COC CEO Chris Overholt. “We are deeply disappointed in the behaviors of these individuals. All team members are expected to respect the laws of South Korea and all places we compete in around the world.”
All three Canadians said they were sorry for what they had done.
“I would like to apologize profusely for my inexcusable actions,” Raine said in a statement. “Words are not enough to express how sorry I am. I have let my teammates, friends and my family down. I would also like to apologize to the owner of the vehicle that was involved.”
The Duncans issued a joint statement apologizing for “behavior that demonstrated poor judgment and was not up to the standards expected of us as Members of the Canadian Olympic Team or as Canadians.”
Ski cross athlete Dave Duncan apologizes for behaviour after drunken joyride in Pyeongchang https://t.co/jkXmx4ewU1 pic.twitter.com/BHPilKKCaz
— CP24 (@CP24) February 24, 2018
The 35-year-old Dave Duncan, who finished eighth in the ski cross, was pleased with his performance. “I was the best version of myself today and I’m leaving here happy,” he told reporters Wednesday.
Now it might be a while before he can go home.
The CBC reported that police released the three Canadians but restricted them from leaving South Korea.
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