17-year-old Ollie Martin walked pass the media members without on February 7 without offering a comment. He usually isn’t one for media interactions but this time, the reason felt different. At the back of his mind was probably his Olympic loss minutes ago and a judging controversy that has now come to light.

The American teenager, Martin was competing for his debut medal with a broken hand. Two weeks ago, during a training in Aspen, Martin fell and fractured his right arm, necessitating surgery. Even so, he was the only American in the final 12 of the Olympic final, before he lost his medal to a controversial judgment.

During his Olympic final performance, Martin landed two spectacular tricks, including a frontside double 1800. A medal looked confirmed for him with a final score of 163.00. However, China’s Su Yiming made his final attempt after and that’s where things changed.

Yiming, the reigning Olympic gold medalist attempted a technically demanding trick. He flew through the air with his signature style, but during the landing, he lost control. The tumble forced him to put both his hands down on the snow, showing lack of execution which often warrants penalization. However, the judge took a very controversial call.

After a slight delay, the judge awarded Yiming 80.25 points, contributing to his total of 168.50, which exceeded Martins. This performance put him ahead of Martin in third place, with a Japanese 1-2 that included Kira Kimura and Ryoma Kimata, respectively.

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While Martin was completely silent after, as he walked away showing sportsmanship and didn’t challenge the decision. However, Yiming broke his silence on the call.

“I think today’s judging was completely fair. I did not perform at my best. In training, I have landed more difficult tricks, but today I wasn’t able to show those,” said Yiming.

“Sincerely and from the bottom of my heart, I congratulate these two Japanese athletes…I gave everything. I put all my energy into training. The person I am most accountable to is myself, so I am happy with what I achieved today. Finally, I don’t have to carry the pressure of defending champion anymore.”

While Martin didn’t speak to the reporters, Martin’s mother reacted in front of the media and appeared visibly upset.

Ollie Martin’s family stood with him at the Winter Olympics

Walking away from the reports at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, Ollie Martin found himself with family members, with whom he shared pictures and embraced hugs. And his mother, Anne, came out as her son’s biggest support system.

While the 17-year-old snowboarder had nothing to say to the media, her mother shared a few points. “I won’t say anything about that,” she said when asked about Su Yiming’s score.

Ollie Martin’s mother added, “I have an incredible amount of faith in Ollie. It was harder to get here to the Olympics. It’s like a celebration once you’re here.”

Ollie Martin’s Olympic story didn’t end in silence after failing to secure a podium, but his walking past, avoiding any kind of controversy, showcased maturity way above his age and an up-and-coming snowboarding star for Team USA.