Friday, Jul 24, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ
IsThis

GENERAL

The Claim

Drones used for filming downhill skiing at the Olympics are generally disliked by athletes.

The Short Version

This claim is not supported by the evidence. Multiple high-credibility sources from the 2026 Winter Olympics quote named downhill and alpine skiers — including Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, Jacqueline Wiles, and Breezy Johnson — expressing approval of or indifference to filming drones. The IOC confirmed it received no athlete complaints after testing. The only supporting evidence comes from a single snowboarder's concern and anonymous Reddit viewer opinions, neither of which establishes general dislike among downhill skiing athletes.

Caveats

  • The claim conflates viewer complaints and a single snowboarder's concern with broad athlete sentiment — a category error.
  • Named downhill/alpine athletes on record consistently express approval or neutrality toward the drones, directly contradicting the claim.
  • Reddit posts cited in support reflect anonymous fan opinions, not verified athlete views.

The Receipts

  1. Buzz of the Olympics: How drone cams deliver high-pace visuals and add a new dynamic for TV viewers - AP News

    AP News

  2. Athletes react to drones flying inches from Olympic action | KSL.com

    KSL.com

  3. First person view drones wow Olympic viewers - YouTube

    NBC News

  4. Drones provide stunning views of Winter Olympics, athletes adjust to buzzing cameras

    NBC News

  5. The tech behind the Olympics: High-speed cameras, sensors, and annoying drones

    Forbes

  6. Drones enhance viewer experience at Games, no disruption to competitors - IOC - CNA

    CNA

  7. Athletes react to drones flying inches from Olympic action

    KSL TV (YouTube)

  8. Downhill skiing and drones : r/olympics - Reddit

    Reddit

  9. Rant: Drone footage is the worst form of watching a ski race. : r/SkiRacing - Reddit

    Reddit

Filed Under

alpine skiing athletesdownhill skiingdronesOlympic Games