During a recent cross-country skiing event, Finnish athlete Eero Hirvonen expressed his frustration at Japanese competitor Akito Watabe for what he deemed irritating conduct during the paired skiing competition. Watabe's actions, which included bumping into Hirvonen's poles, led to a heated response from Hirvonen, who noted that the behavior occurred during a critical moment of the race, affecting the competitive spirit of the event. Hirvonen made it clear that such physical contact was not appropriate in the context of racing for Olympic medals, indicating that athletes should maintain respect and decorum.