Prompt Cast
How Elizabeth Swaney Exploited Olympic Qualification Rules to Compete in the Games
TLDR Elizabeth Swaney found a loophole in the Olympic qualification rules and managed to compete in the 2018 Olympics in half pipe skiing, despite her lack of skill and athleticism. Her runs at the Games were lackluster, sparking criticism and accusations of making a mockery of the Olympics.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Elizabeth Swaney, with a lack of athletic ability and skill, managed to achieve her goal of competing in the Olympic Games in 2018.
01:35
The 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary saw the entry of Michael Edwards, also known as Eddie the Eagle, who despite finishing last in both ski jumping events, set the British ski jump record, and the Jamaican bobsled team, showcasing their sprinting skills in a new sport.
02:56
The International Olympic Committee implemented the "Eddie the Eagle rule" which required competitors to be competitive at the international level in order to compete at the Olympics, leading Elizabeth Swaney to find loopholes in the rules to try and qualify.
04:07
To qualify for the 2018 Olympics, Elizabeth Swaney focused on half pipe skiing, a relatively new event with fewer than 30 entrants in many competitions, where she only needed to earn at least 50 FIS points and place in the top 30 at an FIS Freestyle World Cup event or the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships.
05:23
Elizabeth Swaney qualified for the Olympics by simply showing up to every FIS qualifying event and not crashing, accumulating enough points to place in the top 30 due to the small number of competitors and others crashing.
06:43
Elizabeth Swaney's runs at the Pyeongchang Olympics were described as "perfectly mediocre" and she finished in last place with the worst scores in Olympic history, sparking backlash and accusations of making a mockery of the Olympics, despite legitimately qualifying according to the rules.
08:01
The International Ski Federation has not changed its rules for Olympic qualification, meaning that anyone could qualify the same way as Elizabeth Swaney in the future.
