Canadian short track speed skater Kim Boutin credits the support of her teammates for helping her win a second bronze medal at the Winter Games, by helping her ignore the online anger that welled up after her first medal win.
Boutin grabbed the bronze in the 1,500-metre event Saturday, just four days after being the victim of online vitriol launched after she captured bronze in the 500-metres.
Boutin had finished fourth in that shorter event, but was bumped up to third when South Korea's Minjeong Choi was disqualified for interfering with Boutin.
Angry fans, mainly from South Korea, directed their anger at the first-time Olympian in angry tweets, claiming Boutin had been the one who had pushed Choi, not the other way around.
The 23-year-old Boutin was forced to close all her social media accounts to block out the anger, while the RCMP and the IOC began investigating threats made against her.
Speaking to CTV鈥檚 Peter Akman Sunday, Boutin admitted the threats left her scared and said it was hard to get through those first few days.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not really fun to have those comments,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut鈥� my team was really close to me and said, 鈥楧on鈥檛 do a thing about that, don鈥檛 care about that. Everything is in control鈥�,鈥� she said.
When it was time to return to the ice Saturday to warm up for the 1,500-metre event, Boutin says she had to let her emotions out.
鈥淚 cried a lot after my warmup because I needed to let it go because I was a little (frustrated),鈥� she said.
Boutin had already run into Choi at the athletes鈥� village dining hall the day before and she and Choi hugged and settled any leftover awkwardness.
鈥淔or me, for my process, it really helped me. I don鈥檛 want to let those comments separate the skaters,鈥� Boutin said.
The two were to meet again on the podium: while Boutin collected the bronze, Choi accepted the gold in the 1,500-metre.
With the 3,000-metre event still ahead on Tuesday, Boutin says she is putting this week鈥檚 tensions behind her, taking the advice of the teammates who have banded around her.
鈥淭he other girls are really awesome and they told me, 鈥楧on鈥檛 worry about the haters. You鈥檙e an Olympic medallist and that鈥檚 what you need to remember鈥�,鈥� she said.
With files from The Canadian Press
