When nations competing in the Olympics pit their best athletes against the rest of the world, such pressure is bound to create a few feuds. However, within each sport, a special camaraderie among athletes sometimes trumps patriotism, which was on full display during a women’s cross-country skiing event at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy. During a team relay competition, the Canadians were leading until teammate Sara Renner broke a ski pole, jeopardizing hopes of a win. “That was strange,” Renner recalled to National Post. “I had never broken a ski pole before. Or since.” But thanks to Bjornar Haakensmoen, Norway’s head coach, who quickly handed Renner a spare pole, the Canadians finished second for a silver medal. Norway unfortunately ended up fourth, missing the podium.
Haakensmoen didn’t mince any words about his actions, which cost Norway a medal. “This competition, and all competition, it should be a fight,” he told ESPN. “It should not be decided by the skis.” If anything, it was retribution for Norway ignoring a Swedish competitor in a similar plight as Renner’s some years earlier. A grateful Renner gave the coach a bottle of Barolo wine for his generosity. Two months later, Haakensmoen received an even bigger surprise in the form of five tons of maple syrup donated by Canadian fans. “It’s sweet and a little unusual,” said Haakensmoen, per CBC. “We might have it from time to time, but not five times a day.”
