At Winter Olympics 2026, This French Choreographer Is Coaching 16 Skaters, Internet Calls Him ‘The Best Paid Man’

Last Updated:February 19, 2026, 15:27 IST

French skating choreographer Benoit Richaud is coach of 16 skaters part of the Winter Olympics.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Northern Italy witnessed unique scenes during the skating games recently, as French choreographer Benoit Richaud was seen shuffling jackets of different representative nations moments after the competitors changed. Richaud, who is coaching 16 skaters from 13 different nations, was quite busy changing jackets with different national logos during the ice-skating competitions at the Milano Cortina 2026.

A video on Instagram perfectly captured Richaud showing his support for each of his student athletes from different countries. In the clip, one could see the choreographer dropping his jacket for one national representative before going on to don the other only a few seconds later.

French Choreographer’s Unique Jacket Shuffling

A popular 38-year-old choreographer, roped in by several skaters and athletes at the Milan Cortina Games, Richaud has been donning unique national colour combinations depending on who is showing his mettle at a given time. The famed skating coach was seen wearing the French colours in support of fellow countryman Adam Siao Him Fa before removing the gear and donning the jacket for Georgia to cheer for Nika Egadze.

Notably, three of the final four pairs seen over the ice on Monday, February 16, were coached by Richaud. One could see the choreographer’s unique dilemma when he had to make consecutive swaps as Georgia’s duo of Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava went up against the German pair of Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin.

“As soon as they step on the ice, I know they’re going to make something magical and boom, I’m in their world already," Richaud told The Athletic. “Having them in front of me makes me reconnect to what they are going to do and switch emotions quickly."

“There’s a lot of video of me changing jackets, but I also move with my skaters, too. You want to give your everything for them."

‘The Man Has Best Jacket Collections’

Richaud’s jacket shuffling was bound to result in hysteria online as people admired his hustle and passionate involvement in the games but also found it a matter to chuckle about.

“The best paid man at the Winter Olympics," quipped a person.

Someone else referred to Richaud’s bald appearance, saying, “Perfect opportunity to wear different wigs too. Squandered a great chance."

“Imagine forgetting your phone in one jacket, then wondering which jacket it was," joked another user.

“This man has one of the best jacket collections for sure," wondered an individual.

During his interview with The Athletic, Richaud spoke about how much he loves and supports each of the skaters he has choreographed for the Winter Olympics, backing them to bring medals for their respective countries.

News viral Winter Olympics 2026 Rare Scene French Coach Cheers For 16 Skaters

Read More