PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) — Austrian cross-country skier Teresa Stadlober was well on her way to a silver medal at the Pyeongchang Games.
Then came a mental hiccup that cost her a spot on the podium but earned her a place in Olympic history.
With 7 kilometers left in Sunday's 30-kilometer race, the 25-year-old Stadlober inexplicably veered right on a downhill slope while the rest of the skiers went left. By the time she had corrected her course, she had fallen from second place to eighth.
Her medal hopes had vanished.
"I don't know, I really don't know," said an embarrassed Stadlober, who ended up in ninth place.