Livigno, Italy – A sudden snowstorm dramatically altered the landscape for Anni Kärävä’s bid for a medal in the freestyle big air final on Monday. The unexpected weather shift, arriving just over half an hour before the scheduled start, brought heavy snowfall and strong headwinds, delaying the competition by an hour and 15 minutes.
Amidst the challenging conditions, a heartwarming story unfolded for Kärävä’s competitor, Kateryna Kotsar of Ukraine. Kotsar received a surprise proposal from her boyfriend, a moment that quickly went viral on social media. “I tried to keep my emotions in check and be ready for the finals. I’ll understand what happened at these Games tomorrow. I got engaged and I have a ring on my finger,” Kotsar told Yle Urheilu.
The Ukrainian athlete also revealed a subtle but powerful message displayed on her gloves: “freedom of memory,” a tribute to Vladyslav Heraskevych, a Ukrainian skeleton racer who was barred from competing after attempting to display a message honoring Ukrainians killed in the war. The International Olympic Committee had prevented Heraskevych from competing due to the message on his helmet.
Competing for a war-torn nation, Kotsar emphasized the significance of representing Ukraine on the Olympic stage. “Now it’s even more important to represent Ukraine,” she said.
Kotsar finished tenth in the final, while Kärävä placed eighth. Following the competition, Kotsar expressed her admiration for the Finnish skier. “I really like Anni. I can’t even explain why. She always looks so confident. She always seems to know what she’s doing. She’s always ready to fight. Anni is amazing,” Kotsar said.
Kärävä, 25, entered the Olympic final as a medal contender, building on a successful season that culminated in her first World Cup victory in Beijing on December 6, 2025. She topped the women’s final at Big Air Beijing with a score of 175.50, ahead of China’s Liu Mengting (172.25) and Canada’s Naomi Urness (171.50). This victory marked her 47th World Cup start and followed a bronze medal at the Engadin 2025 FIS Freeski World Championships in March, as well as two bronze medals at the 2025 X Games in slopestyle and knuckle huck.
Prior to the Beijing triumph, Kärävä had secured several podium finishes, including two third-place and one second-place finish last season. Her second run in Beijing, a left double cork 1080 mute, earned her a score of 89.25, propelling her into the lead. She then solidified her victory with a polished version of her opening trick, scoring 86.25 on her third run, bringing her total to 175.50.
“It’s been a lot of getting pieces together and going step by step. I’m super happy to be here and I’m super excited for the future too,” Kärävä said after her World Cup win.
At the Olympic final in Livigno, Kärävä attempted a new trick on her third run, but it didn’t quite land as planned. Despite this, she received a warm embrace from her Finnish teammates, demonstrating the strong support within the national team. Rene Rinnekangas, a member of the Finnish lumilautailu- ja freestylemaajoukkue, commented before her final run that Kärävä’s jumps looked “so sure.”
The Milano-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics will continue through February 22, 2026, with full coverage available on Yle’s Olympic website.
