On Thursday, the US Women's Hockey team stunned Canada by winning gold at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics.
It was first gold medal for USA Women's Hockey in 20 years. Canada, their rival, had won every Olympic gold medal since, in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014.
At the medal ceremony, Canadian player Jocelyne Larocque was so disappointed with the silver medal that she took it off immediately after it was placed around her neck.
Canada's Jocelyne Larocque took off her silver medal immediately after receiving it. #WinterOlympics… https://t.co/rPaApinsE3
Larocque was also a member of the Canadian team in the Sochi Olympics in 2014, which won gold.
She then stood downcast during the ceremony, clutching the medal in a fist by her side.
She refused to wear it for the entire ceremony.
Many people were unhappy with Larocque's decision to not wear her medal, calling her an "embarrassment to Canada."
#JocelyneLarocque you are an embarrassment to Canada and Manitoba not even wearing your silver medal. Ripped it off… https://t.co/nqiIDb7v8x
And a "poor loser."
@HC_Women very disappointed in Jocelyne Larocque’s display of incredibly un-Canadian sportsmanship and being a poor… https://t.co/RLk7xoiBBE
They implied she was a crybaby.
Jocelyne Larocque getting her silver medal.
And anti-Canadian!
On behalf of Canada I would like to apologize for Jocelyne Larocque. That was like the least Canadian thing to do,… https://t.co/XcErmKIW5P
"I understand your disappointment but the world was watching & you were representing all of 🇨🇦," said one Canadian fan.
#JocelyneLarocque I understand your disappointment but the world was watching & you were respresenting all of 🇨🇦. Y… https://t.co/SH2u97kz6S
Other people sympathized, though.
Feeling a bit sorry for Jocelyne Larocque. OK, it wasn't the best idea to do that but in the final of a team sport… https://t.co/RbtZGBQlan
They said they "respect the honesty."
Jocelyne Larocque taking the sliver medal off isn’t the right thing to do on the surface but to cast judgment on a… https://t.co/9twnVYKY5K
In an interview with the Globe and Mail after the game, Larocque said the moment was "just hard" because "we were going for gold." The newspaper reported that after the ceremony, Larocque was chastised by an official from the International Ice Hockey Federation, who told her to put it on.
When asked by the newspaper if the silver medal was consolation, the player said, "I mean, yeah."
"Once we reflect. But now, not at the moment," she said.
UPDATE: Larocque has apologized for the incident.
A statement from Jocelyne Larocque re: removing her silver medal following Canada's loss to the U.S. #Olympics
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