Norwegian cross-country skier Emil Hegle Svendsen took home a gold medal in the 15km biathlon on Tuesday. The race required a photo finish that would not have been necessary if Svendsen waited another second to celebrate.
As he approached the finish line after a race that took longer than 42 minutes, Svendsen raised his arms in triumph. You can certainly understand being overwhelmed with joy after winning a nine-mile race, but the premature celebration nearly cost Svendsen the gold. France’s Martin Fourcase, who was hustling to the finish line, almost passed Svendsen at the last second.
As some of you may know, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson cost his team touchdowns twice by celebrating early. Denver Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan did the same exact thing in the first game of the 2013 NFL season. Fortunately for Svendsen, he had just enough of a lead for it to not cost him. I’m sure he’ll realize how bad it could have been when he watches the replay.
GIF and screenshot via USA Today
