After 16 years on the run, an elusive thief was apprehended by Italian authorities upon his return to his homeland to show support during the Winter Olympics. The individual, a Slovakian national, came back to back their ice hockey team, only to be intercepted by the police before even reaching the arena. The man, aged 44 and unnamed in reports, had been wanted since 2010 for a string of shoplifting offenses, resulting in an outstanding arrest warrant with a sentence of 11 months and seven days.
Law enforcement located the fugitive when he checked into a guesthouse on the outskirts of Milan. Despite being a fugitive, he chose to return to Italy, leading to his immediate detention. The Winter Games’ ice hockey competitions are split between the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and the Rho Ice Hockey Arena, situated on opposite sides of the city. The man’s plan to attend the former match on Wednesday evening was abruptly halted by his arrest, subsequently resulting in his transfer to the central San Vittore Prison.
Meanwhile, Slovakia’s men’s ice hockey team achieved a surprising victory, defeating Finland 4-1 in their Olympic debut. Upcoming matches include facing Italy on Friday and Sweden in the preliminary round closure on Saturday. Slovakia previously secured a bronze medal in Beijing four years ago, marking their first return to the Winter Games since the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have been eventful, with notable incidents such as Lindsey Vonn’s crash resulting in a leg injury during a race attempt without an ACL. Additionally, Jutta Leerdam, fiancée of Jake Paul, claimed victory in the 1000m speed skating event, upgrading her Beijing silver to gold. Despite Team GB’s lack of medals so far, there are high hopes for world champion Matt Weston in the upcoming skeleton event final on Friday evening.
For avid fans, the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games run from February 6-22, offering over 850 hours of live action on discovery+ via Prime Video. Subscribing to the £3.99 discovery+ Entertainment plan grants access to TNT Sports 2, the channel providing round-the-clock coverage of the Olympics.
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