Russian speedskater Daniil Aldoshkin came under fire after flashing his middle fingers Tuesday after the ROC defeated Team USA in the pursuit semifinals.
Aldoshkin's gesture came just after he crossed the finish line with his teammates Ruslan Zakharov and Sergey Trofimov to beat the Americans and guarantee that Russia would medal in the event. The actions of the 20-year-old were caught on camera and quickly made the rounds on social media.
MORE: Why Russia is called 'ROC' at the 2022 Winter Olympics
The 20-year-old apologized for his middle-finger salute in a news conference shortly thereafter, where he explained that excitement got the better of him in his medal-winning moment.
"I threw up my hands, I have the first medal, the first Olympics," Aldoshkin said, per RT.com. "I didn't mean anything like that. I'm sorry if this offended anyone."
Aldoshkin's teammates quickly came to his defense. Zakharov noted that the Russian team had just broken an Olympic speed skating record, so he believed that Aldoshkin's gesture wasn't personal.
"In speed skating, we fight against time, not against an opponent," Zakharov said. "It was purely an emotional reaction."
MORE: Kamila Valieva Olympics doping case, explained
The president of the Russian Skating Union, Alexei Kravtsov, also came to Aldoshkin's defense. He agreed that it was "an outburst of emotion" and further apologized for Aldoshkin's actions.
"We talked with the athlete, he made a statement at a press conference," Kravtsov said. "Emotions took over at the finish line, there was no subtext in this action. We are sorry if someone differently perceived this situation and [it] offended someone. On behalf of the Russian Skating Union, we offer our official apologies."
MEDAL COUNT: Updated tally of Team USA medals at 2022 Winter Olympics
The ROC's opponents seemed unfazed by Aldoshkin's gesture. Halgeir Engebroten, who skated for Norway in their gold-medal match against Russia, had no issue with his opponent and accepted the apology.
“I think it's just a reaction to the fact that the guys made it to the final," Engebroten said. "He explained everything, that's enough for me."
