In the large-scale aerial snowboarding final of the 2026 Winter Olympics, China’s defending gold medalist Su Yiming tried the most daring move in the game, trying to surpass Japanese players Kira Kimura and Ryoma Kida, but fell and caused a controversy over the bronze medal score.
NBC broadcaster Todd Richards apparently wasn’t impressed, as viewers were informed via hot mic after the game.
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“That’s boring. That’s boring. Qualifying is more exciting,” Richards said before the Peacock live cut to a promo for figure skating.
Richards apparently knew what was going on as soon as he stepped away from the mic, because he quickly posted a message on Instagram saying his phone was inundated with direct messages. He continued to maintain his opinion that the finals were far less exciting than the qualifiers, especially in terms of variety of skills.
However, if anyone thought he was criticizing the athletes involved, he offered a conditional apology:
“I said ‘That’s boring. That’s boring. I think the qualifiers are better.’ And I did. I do think the qualifiers are more exciting. It’s not about the athletes. It’s about the drama in the qualifiers. Four hours before the event, we had Val Guselli on call-up. He didn’t even know he was going to be involved and then he fell. We did all kinds of different tricks. Off the cuff, different types of spin axes, all these riders trying to get it with creative spins.
“In the finals, a lot of guys fell. A lot of guys did do the same thing. 1980 was a back-and-forth and a zig-zag 1980, pretty much the whole field. It has nothing to do with what these athletes do, because the riders come here and they fall. I have a lot of respect for them. It really suits the format. And I think there’s a lot more excitement in the qualifiers.
“So if anyone mistakenly thinks I’m calling out any riders here, I apologize because that’s really not what it is. These guys are my heroes, they’re my friends, they’re my colleagues, they’re all rippers.”
It’s a simple enough explanation, although the Winter Olympics still don’t need its own broadcasters to complain about the entertainment value of certain events. Yes, the sports world’s hot mics have caught much worse.
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Richards competed for the U.S. Army in the snowboard halfpipe competition at the 1998 Olympics, finishing 16th. He also won two Winter X Games halfpipe titles, including the inaugural Winter X Games title in 1997. This is his sixth Winter Olympics as a snowboard analyst for NBC.
