If you gotta go out, go out in style. Some Olympic athletes might celebrate their retirement with a party, a toast, or a speech, but one French snowboarder chose to take a decidedly more fun approach: donning a fuzzy tiger onesie during her final event. And it was a true sight to behold.
At a recent Olympics Big Air event, French snowboarder Lucile Lefevre commemorated both her upcoming retirement and the beginning of the Year of the Tiger when she donned a tiger onesie for her final chance to hit the powder. Check out the video clip below:
RAWR! 🐯 After an injury, French snowboarder Lucile Lefevre decided to have fun and wear a tiger onesie while competing in the big air competition. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/c6RIUyplZ7February 14, 2022
Olympians have been wearing some unexpected accessories this year, but Lucile Lefevre has certainly taken the top spot. The video shows her shredding her way down the ramp in a tiger onesie, complete with stripe pattern, ears, and even a tail. She waved to the audience and the judges before coming to a triumphant halt, offering the camera a playful roar. It’s unclear whether or not that tiger onesie adheres to the uniform regulations, but Lefevre certainly seems to be having a great time nonetheless. She performed the first round in her standard jacket, then made the switch to the aforementioned attire.
Why the last-minute costume change? Apparently, the native Frenchwoman had injured herself in a slopestyle event a week earlier, thus rendering her unable to actually complete any tricks during the Big Air competition. Given that this was already meant to be her final run at the Olympics, she opted to go out with a bang. According to Sports Illustrated, she borrowed the outfit from fellow snowboarder Nicolas Huber, who brought it as a fun nod to the ongoing Year of the Tiger festivities occurring in Beijing.
Due to her lack of flips and stunts, Lucile Lefevre came in last place. That didn’t bother her, though: she simply wanted to participate in what was already going to be her final event, since she’s already managed to beat the odds. NBC Sports reported that the athete was born with osteochondrosis, a disorder that hinders bone growth, making her initial Olympic qualification and international snowboarding career even more impressive. So if she wants to have a little fun, that’s entirely understandable. Besides, she’s only 26 years old. Lefevre has her entire life ahead of her to rise to even greater heights.
Lucile Lefevre’s time at the Olympic Games may be over, but the competition is still going strong. The 2022 Winter Olympics are currently airing on NBC, but you can also watch the event on streaming via your Peacock Premium subscription. Some of your favorite NBC shows may do a scheduling shuffle, so be sure to find out when when Chicago Fire and This Is Us will air during the ongoing ceremony.
