Olympic Medal For Guide Dog On Olympic Podium

Austria’s Carina Edlinger, a visually impaired athlete, won two gold medals in cross-country skiing during the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing. A lot of people contributed to Carina’s success. However, as she was honored at one of the medal ceremonies, she wanted to acknowledge one person in particular – Riley, her guide dog.

Edlinger has been caring for Riley for five years. The way she loves him and appreciates what he’s done for her is what made her decide to express her gratitude.

Riley sniffed the medals for Edlinger and her guide as soon as they were brought over, hoping to find something for himself. He had no idea that there was going to be a prize at the end for him. She took out another medal from her pocket – one custom-made for Riley. It was a moment Riley deserved as well, so she placed the medal around his neck gently.

Even more than watching the human athletes receive their medals, everyone loved watching Riley accept his medal on the Olympic podium.

The moment Riley received his medal, he and his mom posed for photos and proudly displayed their medals. They were elated that they had the opportunity to share that special day with each other.

Image Credit: Carina Edlinger