Beijing Olympic figure skaters express their desire for a medal ceremony in Paris, stating that they "would love" to have the ceremony there. This comes two years after their gold medal win in Beijing.
US figure skaters, including Madison Chock and Evan Bates, are calling for a special medal ceremony at the Paris Summer Olympics after a Russian doping scandal at the 2022 Beijing Games resulted in their team being awarded gold medals in the team event. The skaters hope to recapture their Olympic moment and celebrate with their families at the upcoming Paris Games. The International Olympic Committee has not yet confirmed the details of the ceremony, and there may be appeals from Russia and Canada regarding the medal standings.
A medal ceremony held by Ukraine's 128th Mountain Assault Brigade turned into a tragedy when a Russian missile strike killed at least 19 soldiers and injured dozens more. The ceremony, which took place in an open area near the front line, was attended by nearly 100 people, including high-ranking officers. The attack has raised questions about the decision to hold such a large public event in a location easily visible to Russian drones and within range of Russian missiles. Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation has opened a criminal inquiry into the incident, and President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles expressed her heartbreak after seeing footage of a young Black girl being ignored during a gymnastics ceremony in Ireland. The video, which went viral, showed a line of girls receiving medals while the lone Black girl was not given one. Gymnastics Ireland received a complaint of alleged racist behavior and stated that the mistake was unintentional, but the official immediately rectified it. However, the girl's family claimed that the apology was not genuine, and the incident has caused significant upset. Gymnastics Ireland has since issued an apology and expressed their desire to welcome the gymnast back to future events.
Meghan Markle took center stage at the Invictus Games as she presented medals to the swimming finalists, including Ukrainian war hero Yulia Payevska. Prince Harry joined in the ceremony, and the couple gave a group hug to Payevska. Despite being captured and held captive by Russian soldiers, Payevska found success in the pool, winning a silver medal. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also attended other medal ceremonies, with Meghan being moved to tears during one. Meghan added her signature to a tribute wall, placing it near a message honoring the late Princess Diana.