Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Drunk Airplane Pisser Could Have Been Olympic Contender
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Aug 12, 2011
Modified Aug 12, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Aug 12, 2011
Modified Aug 12, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Turns out that Robert Vietze, the 18-year-old who allegedly got drunk and peed all over a sleeping 11-year-old girl on a JetBlue redeye to New York earlier this week, is a member of the US Ski Team who probably just pissed away his chance at Olympic glory.
According to the Post, Vietze is one of the top 75 skiers in the country, who, up until confusing a small girl with a toilet, had a chance at competing in the 2014 Winter Games in Russia. Vietze refused to apologize to reporters outside of his "palatial" Vermont home yesterday, though he did tell cops at JFK "I was drunk, and I did not realize I was pissing on her leg." The girl's father, a stage-four cancer patient who was flying with his daughters to go visit family on Long Island, wouldn't let the "traumatized" girl be interviewed by cops, and now Vietze is off the hook for criminal charges.
Vietze was on his way home to Vermont from a weeklong training camp in Oregon with the Ski Team, who had no comment. Vietze's neighbor called him "a very nice boy, one of the nicest, most respectable young people I've ever met."
UPDATE: It looks like Vietze can indeed kiss his gold-medal dreams goodbye: U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Executive Vice President of Athletics Luke Bodensteiner issued a statement this morning, saying Vietze had been dismissed from the team for conduct violations.
Tagged
drunk
flight
jfk airport
olympics
peeing on people
public urination
robert vietze
ski
travel
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
A sixth person dies after falling ill in NYPD custody this year
The 54-year-old was hospitalized twice after his arrest Friday, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 4, 2026 at 4:44 p.m. ET
NJ reports first West Nile Virus death of the year
While the national West Nile Virus trend has slowed down, activity in the Garden State has picked up.
By
Michael Sol Warren
News
NJ reports first West Nile Virus death of the year
While the national West Nile Virus trend has slowed down, activity in the Garden State has picked up.
By
Michael Sol Warren
NY's prison system is in crisis. It's driving staff away from the job.
By
Emily Russell
NYPD searching for suspect after fatal stabbing in Queens
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYPD: 2 suspects in off-duty officer stabbing tried to rob victim
By
Jill Webb
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .