ASPEN — Like most every athlete at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Langely McNeal was showing her love for fallen freeskier Sarah Burke with a white ribbon tied around her leg.
The Idaho skicross racer Sunday night said that the band — with the word "Sarah" — forced her disqualification from Sunday's skicross finals after French officials complained the band and a hair tie on her right boot violated international skicross clothing rules.
"It's been a lifelong dream for me to compete in the X Games finals and for it to be taken from me for something so trivial, it's just breaking my heart," she said. "It's not like I hit someone with my pole or anything like that. People have worn the most ridiculous stuff at the X Games. There are no rules at the X Games. That's why everyone loves the X Games."
Sunday's race was not part of the International Ski Federation's World Cup, which closely regulates skicross clothing related to aerodynamics. Chris Stiepock, vice president of X Games events, said the violation was not about the Sarah band.
"It had nothing to do with the Sarah banner. It had to do with straps she had on both legs around her boots. I can quote from the rules: No straps or fastening devices or other methods can be used to tighten the suit material closer to the body," Stiepock said. "We certainly feel bad but this has nothing to do with the Sarah banner. We have allowed all the athletes to wear those banners without stopping really anybody. This had to do with the fastening devices around her pant legs."
McNeal said Sunday night she had a single hairtie around her right boot. She said she was told by race officials the violation involved the Sarah banner.
Her disqualification allowed French racer Marielle Berge to get into the finals.
McNeal confirmed that four French officials complained to X Games officials. McNeal said the French complained that the Burke armband made her racing suit too tight.
"It was really poorly handled by the X Games," McNeal said. "And a pretty low blow by the French."
McNeal said she was standing in the finish corral, surrounded by friends and family celebrating her advancement to the finals when she learned the French team was contesting her clothing, arguing that the hair-tie on her ski boot and the Sarah Burke armband on her pants were a violation of international skicross rules.
"It was heartbreaking," said McNeal, who turned 28 on Friday and was planning to celebrate her birthday after Sunday's race. "I'm not really feeling like a party right now."
Athletes all week have been wearing the Burke armbands in other events. Burke was a Canadian freeskier who died last week after being injured in a training run Jan. 10.
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