Beijing 2022 Ski Cross Bronze Finally Awarded To Switzerland's Smith

©IOC Media
Ski Cross athlete Fanny Smith (SUI) received her bronze medal from the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games in Lausanne on Tuesday, 18 April 2023 at a ceremony hosted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In China, the Vaudois was demoted to 4th place immediately after the final – before being awarded third place again a few months later.

One year and two months after the women's ski cross final at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, Fanny Smith was finally able to admire her bronze medal. At a ceremony organized by the IOC and Swiss Olympic at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne on 18 April in the presence of more than a hundred guests, Smith received the precious metal from the hands of IOC President Thomas Bach.

Fanny Smith was visibly stirred: "Even though I would have preferred to receive the medal in Beijing, I am very happy to be able to celebrate this success at home in Switzerland, with my friends and family. I would like to thank the IOC for this beautiful occasion. For me, this episode is now finally over and has found a good ending."

After the women's ski cross final at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, there was a legal dispute over the placement of the two athletes Fanny Smith (SUI) and Daniela Meier (GER). The International Ski Federation (FIS) then adjusted the rankings for this competition as part of a conciliation between the parties under the supervision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and placed both athletes in third place. As a result, the IOC decided to award two bronze medals according to the new FIS ranking. For Fanny Smith it is the second Olympic bronze medal after Pyeongchang 2018.

Olympic Museum in Lausanne as an official ceremony scenario

Subsequent medal presentations are not uncommon – they usually come into play due to doping offences committed by original medalists at the Olympic Games. The IOC has a clear procedure for the form in which the precious metal is subsequently transferred. The given options include, for example, a medal presentation at the next Olympic Games or at the next World Cup or European Championships, that the National Olympic Committee of the country concerned organizes a corresponding event or that the medal is handed over at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Smith has opted for the latter.