Former World Champion Fanny Smith of Switzerland is now the bronze medal winner from the women’s ski cross event of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.
Smith had initially finished in fourth place but an appeal by the Swiss Ski Federation on her behalf to the International Ski Federation (FIS) has changed the Olympic results.
“The Appeals Commission found that the close proximity of the racers at that moment resulted in action that was neither intentional or avoidable,” the FIS said in a statement.
Smith was blamed for illegal contact in causing an incident during the race on February 17, and lost her third-place finish.
FIS said she should have been issued a warning, rather than the yellow card which resulted in dropping her to fourth place.
Her third-place finish was then taken away and awarded to Daniela Maier of Germany. Maier will now lose her bronze medal and finish fourth.
The gold medalist Sandra Naeslund of Sweden and Canadian Marielle Thompson who won silver were not affected by the duel for third.
This is now Smith’s second straight bronze medal as she also placed third in the 2018 PyeongChang Games.