The Olympics Are Unhinged This Year and ‘Sports Bitches’ Has Receipts

If you’re watching the Olympics for wholesome sportsmanship, Sports Bitches would like a word. This episode zeroes in on one thing only: scandals. And there are plenty.

Curling cheating allegations. Ice dancing scoring drama. A biathlon athlete with a literal criminal record. And that’s just the start. Figure skating judging is once again under scrutiny, and a French biathlete who was previously convicted of “stealing the credit card information of her teammate,” according to the girls, still manages to win while her teammate finishes near the bottom. 

If the Olympics are about excellence, they’re also about chaos. Here are the top scandals the Sports Bitches discuss.

Curling cheating sparks hog line controversy

Curling unexpectedly became the scandal centerpiece after Canada was accused of illegally guiding the stone past the release line. The rule is pretty simple: “Don’t touch the stone past the hog line.” Once the stone crosses that green line, your hand is off. No adjustments. No extra push.

The issue? Players were allegedly giving the stone “one extra little” guide with their finger after release. What made it messier is that “there’s actually no camera set up on the hog line,” so the key footage came from someone filming in the stands. After officials were tipped off, the women’s team was docked the next day for the same infraction. 

The skier who confessed to cheating on his girlfriend

One of the strangest Olympic moments had nothing to do with rules or scoring. Strula Holm Laegreid, a Norwegian biathlete, ends up winning his medal, steps up to the cameras, and instead of sticking to the usual thank-yous, basically admits he cheated on his girlfriend. Social media instantly ran with it. As the hosts joke, everyone wanted to be “in that girl’s group chat with her girlfriends right now.”

Ski jumping suit/penis injection controversy

A plastic surgeon publicly confirmed that he injected a skier with hyaluronic acid before competition—specifically to alter the athlete’s lower body profile under the suit.

The theory discussed on the episode is that you inflate certain areas during suit fitting so the uniform is tailored looser, then compete once the swelling goes down. That extra fabric could create more lift in the air. The surgeon said he provided the service last month, though he did not name the athlete or country.

The bigger debate is whether that crosses into performance enhancement. The athletes weren’t disqualified; they were reportedly refitted for their suits. But if the intent was to manipulate equipment regulations, it raises the obvious question: is that cheating?

Ice dancing judging controversy

Figure skating judging rarely escapes controversy, and this year was no exception. The U.S. ice dancing team lost gold to France by a single point—a razor-thin margin that immediately raised eyebrows. According to the episode, when the American duo watched the French routine, they believed they had done enough to win, especially given a few visible mistakes.

The controversy centers on a French judge who reportedly docked the U.S. team while awarding higher marks to the French team. That led to calls for a deeper look into the judge’s scoring history, with questions about whether there was a pattern of favorable scoring. 

Adding more fuel to the fire, the French pair has previously been surrounded by controversy involving former partners and past allegations, which made the result feel even more charged. 

Biathlon credit card theft

This might be the most absurd storyline of the Games. A French biathlete who won gold had previously been convicted of stealing her teammate’s credit card information and racking up charges over several months. According to the hosts, she “had been convicted a couple of years ago of stealing the credit card information of her teammate” and was handed a suspended sentence after the fraud was discovered. She only admitted guilt after photos of the card were found on her phone.

To hear all of the Olympic scandals going on, listen to Sports Bitcheswherever you get your podcasts.

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