Well, we've officially got our first hot mic oopsie of the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics!
Broadcaster Todd Richards took to Instagram Sunday to apologize for comments he made during the men's big air snowboarding event that he didn't realize were being broadcast.
The clip instantly went viral as many took it as a swipe at the athletes themselves when Richards referred to the big air snowboarding final as "boring."
Richards posted an apology on Instagram making clear that the athletes were not the subject of his ire.
The controversy all began with a clip posted to TikTok of Richards complaining about the big air final during a moment when his mic should have been cut.
At the end of the event, Richards was heard saying:
“That was boring, that was so boring. I thought the qualifiers were better."
As it went viral, many online immediately took it as criticism of the snowboarders themselves.
As one commenter put it:
"This is crazy. These athletes have worked their whole life to get to this point. At least have some respect d*mn."
In his Instagram post, Richards was apologetic but stressed that he didn't retract what he said, because he genuinely felt the finals simply didn't have the same oomph that the qualifiers did.
“In the final? A lot of people fell and a lot of people truly did the same trick."
Many commenters online echoed similar complaints in defending Richards, with several referencing "spin to win," a controversial snowboarding trend in which competitors prioritize aerial rotations in order to gain more points rather than focusing on interesting style and tricks.
Richards went on to clarify that he was in no way criticizing the athletes, just sharing an opinion.
"This is nothing I wouldn’t say to a reporter or in public. It was my opinion based on what I saw in the qualifier vs the final medal round."
"Not one word I said had anything to do with a rider in this event. I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that, but I am. They all rule."
On social media, many people told Richards they actually appreciated his unvarnished take.
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Richards made sure to not just defend but to honor his fellow snowboarders who competed in Milan.
“These guys are my heroes, they are my friends, they are my colleagues and they are all rippers. So, huge shout-outs to everyone who came out here tonight and threw down.”
Richards hot mic moment came at the conclusion of the men's big air competition, which finished with Japan's Kira Kimura taking gold. Women's big air also brought victory to Japan, with Kokomo Murase taking gold.
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