The 2026 Milan Winter Olympics have captivated the globe, but a dramatic off-ice incident grabbed headlines during Slovakia’s men’s hockey clash with Finland at Milano Santagiulia. The Slovaks cruised to a 4-1 win two days ago. Yet the real buzz centered on an unexpected spectator in the stands.

Italian Carabinieri arrested a Slovak fugitive wanted for a series of shop thefts dating back to 2010 after he turned up at the Milan Winter Olympics to cheer for his national team against Finland. The 44-year-old man, whose name was not released, had managed to evade justice for 16 years, believing he’d long escaped notice.

His luck ran out when a routine campsite check-in outside Milan triggered an automatic alert tied to an outstanding warrant. Police tracked him to the Olympic stands and took him into custody on the spot. He was transferred to San Vittore prison to serve the remainder of his sentence: 11 months and seven days.

The arrest meant he didn’t even get to see the opening game, where Slovakia defeated Finland. His case echoed another recent incident before the Games, when former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding, who competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics, was similarly apprehended after years on the run.

According to reports, he was on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list. Authorities accused Wedding of leading a transnational drug trafficking organization that moved 60 tons of cocaine annually. After hiding for years under the protection of a cartel, he was detained last month. A joint operation between U.S., Canadian, and Mexican officials made the arrest possible.

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Now that the Olympics have gained a reputation for luring in unwanted attention, it significantly makes the lives of police a bit easier. On that note, it’s worthwhile to know more about such controversies in the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.

The 2026 Winter Olympics are gaining traction for all the wrong reasons

An international stage like the Olympics is bound to deal with a plethora of controversies. Let’s talk about some of the major ones.

Ukrainian Helmet Ban: This one surrounds Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych. The problem arose during the heats when the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) first flagged his “helmet of memory.” However, even though Heraskevych tried to negotiate the terms of using that helmet, he was officially disqualified yesterday.

The helmet honoured athletes killed in the war with Russia. The IOC put forward Rule 50 against political expression. Officials also applied this rule to another skater, Oleh Handei. Yesterday, shortly after Vladyslav Heraskevych’s disqualification, Handei publicly revealed that the International Skating Union had banned his helmet featuring poetry by Lina Kostenko.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Another bizarre controversy that happened is around male ski jumpers using crotch enhancement techniques. In order to prevent the flying squirrel’s effects, the ski jumpers bodysuits are skin-tight. And then they do a 3D body scan that measures an athlete’s crotch height. A German tabloid called the Bild published it. They said the players were injecting hyaluronic acid or paraffin into their genitals to temporarily increase girth and lower the “lowest point” of their body during pre-season scans.

If that happens, the athlete needs to have a larger body suit, which is a bit loose. Research suggests even a 2-centimetre increase in suit size can provide roughly 5% more lift. It can legit add 5 to 6 metres to a 130-metre jump. The doping agency is still investigating the situation.

Despite the distractions surrounding the Games, the 2026 Winter Olympics remain filled with energy and excitement. Away from the noise, the athletes continue to deliver their best, earning admiration for their determination, skill, and passion on sport’s grandest stage.