Skier Loses Olympic Bronze and Gets Cathedral Gold

Top British alpine skier Alain Baxter recently exchanged gold rings with his new bride, Sheila Dow, during their wedding at Dornoch Cathedral in Dornoch, Scotland. A happy golden day for a skier that, four years ago, had experienced had a very sad bronze day.

In the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Baxter finished third in the Slalom event and became the first Briton to ever win a medal in alpine skiing. Unfortunately, a few days later he was stripped of his bronze medal and his third place was removed from the record books after he tested positive for the banned substance methamphetamine. The International Ski Federation later conceded that Alain took the substance unintentionally. The banned substance was in an American Vicks inhaler he had been using. However, the only recourse open to the FIS was to impose a minimum three-month ban and the medal removal was left standing.

A proper send off was given the newlyweds. An eight person guard of honor held crossed skis aloft as the couple left the church. Best wishes to Alain and Sheila.