This Olympic Halfpipe Skier Didn't Do a Single Trick. Here's How She Made It to the Games
Hungarian freeskier Elizabeth Swaney may have made it to the 2018 Winter Olympics, but she took a bit of a different route than the rest of the athletes in PyeongChang.
Swaney’s Olympic run began and ended during Monday’s ladies’ halfpipe qualification when she skied a run that featured absolutely zero tricks. However, this amateur performance was apparently par for the course for the 33-year-old, who earned an Olympic berth simply by attending enough World Cup events.
“The field is not that deep in the women’s pipe and she went to every World Cup, where there were only 24, 25, or 28 women,” longtime halfpipe and slopestyle judge Steele Spence told The Denver Post, referencing the necessity for top-30 finishes. “She would compete in them consistently over the last couple years and sometimes girls would crash so she would not end up dead last.”
There were only 24 quota spots available in women’s ski halfpipe at this year’s Olympics, but injuries combined with countries not using all their spots made it so that the No. 34-ranked Swaney was able to compete in the Games. “I’m just trying to do the best for myself and represent Hungary as best as I can,” she said on Sunday.
How freeskier Elizabeth Swaney made it to the #WinterOlympics with this very simple halfpipe run: https://t.co/enfDyoQjGC pic.twitter.com/kHTAV7XND4
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 20, 2018
Here’s what the Internet thought of her unique run.
“That’s right kids, you too can get into the Olympics just like Elizabeth Swaney.
1. Have enough money to travel the world competing in skiing events for 2 years.
2. Make sure the events have less than 30 competitors.
3. Place in the Top 30.”— #VoteThemOut 202-224-3121 ???????? (@KsKM3) February 19, 2018
Monday Goal: have the irrational self-confidence of #ElizabethSwaney after completing the worst performance in Olympic history. pic.twitter.com/5NGaBRm29N
— Ben Holcomb (@BenjaminHolcomb) February 19, 2018
worst. olympian. ever. I LOVE YOU #elizabethswaney https://t.co/v5Mly9lvSZ
— my back aches, my skirt too tight, my booty shakes (@poniesandsodies) February 19, 2018
@ElizabethSwaney your half pipe today was so sweet it made my day ??
— rachel (@rachellauren66) February 19, 2018
Get Liz Swaney her own Lifetime movie. Better yet, get her a dedicated cable channel. pic.twitter.com/dyqQadh48G
— Ryan Mac (@RMac18) February 19, 2018
This is seriously one of the funniest things I've seen in my life. Haven't laughed this hard in a long time. "Elizabeth Swaney Ski Halfpipe Qualification Run https://t.co/fuGJUriKNc via @YouTube"
— Carson (@JCarsonC) February 19, 2018
I feel like people are about to seriously hate on #elizabethswaney for averagely crushing at the #olympics but what she’s done is actually pretty remarkable. Not to mention she didn’t break any rules, and she obviously isn’t doping.
— Jonathan Huffman (@jonhuffman) February 19, 2018
I've laughed at this for twenty minutes. My kids think I'm nuts. Easily the best story I've heard in a long time.
Kudos to #elizabethswaney— The Lonely Tree (@WillItG) February 20, 2018