"In these moments, you realize that my match is not important. It's not about my match, how it affects me," Rublev said Thursday. "What's happening is much more terrible.

"You realize how important (it) is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what, to be united. It's about that. We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing."

He will face Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely for the first time in the Dubai final on Saturday.

She knows that images of her competing at these Winter Games are a start but in the long run, will not be enough. To develop more world-class skeleton athletes, she would like to help build a better system to support them financially.

She would also like to see the national team cast a wider net in recruiting new sliders.

“I’m the first,” Curtis said, of being the first Black skeleton athlete from the U.S. to compete at the Olympic Games. “But I’m definitely not going to be the last.”