Figure skating coach brought 13 different country jackets to Olympics
The biggest logistical nightmare of the Milano Cortina Olympics may have been the packing situation for a figure skating coach.
Those watching Olympic figure skating events in Italy may have noticed a familiar face on the sidelines. It seems as though a certain coach is present after just about every performance, regardless of which country is performing. And each time, he’s wearing a different Olympic jacket.
That mystery man is French figure skating coach and choreographer Benoît Richaud, and the reason he seems to be everywhere is that he’s involved with 13 different countries at these Olympics. This means that he had to pack 13 different Olympic jackets en route to Milan.
“I have three luggages [for the jackets], actually, it was challenging,” Richaud told CBC’s Devin Heroux.
Renowned figure skating coach Benoît Richaud coaches 16 skaters from 13 different countries, meaning he needed to pack three suitcases just for all those jackets 😂👏⛸️ pic.twitter.com/lvZGyV7VtE
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 15, 2026
One of those jackets was a Canadian one, as Richaud coaches Stephen Gogolev, who recently skated a fifth-place finish in last week’s men’s singles event. That is just one of 16 skaters that Richaud is involved with at these Olympics as either a coach or choreographer. His other most prominent student is Georgian skater Nika Egadze.
Every time that Richaud comes into the Milan skating rink, all those jackets need to come along with him. Though it’s a lot, he’s liked the publicity it’s brought to the sport.
“It was funny, sometimes, walking in the street with all of these jackets on my arm, I was feeling like ‘Oh my god, it’s so embarrassing, I look like an idiot,'” Richaud said with a smile.
“The good part is, we made figure skating a little more famous… It shows the world also our job, what is it to be a coach, what is it to be a choreographer, and what is backstage. Many people, they only see what it is on the ice, but they do not imagine that behind there is a huge team.”
While there is no shortage of hard-working athletes at the Olympics, Richaud may be the hardest-working coach.