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Milano Cortina Winter Games: Gold Medals Awarded in Men’s Downhill and Women’s Skiathlon
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games officially kicked off with a bang on Saturday, as the first gold medals were awarded in both the men’s downhill race and the women’s skiathlon.
Men’s Downhill: Switzerland’s Von Allmen Takes Gold
Under a pristine Bormio sky, Swiss racer Franjo von Allmen blazed down the challenging men’s downhill course, securing the gold medal with a blistering time of 1 minute, 51.61 seconds.
Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni delivered a strong performance, finishing just 0.2 seconds behind von Allmen to claim the silver medal. Franzoni’s teammate, Dominik Paris, delighted the home crowd by snatching the bronze, bumping Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt off the podium.
The top American finisher in the men’s downhill was Kyle Negomir, who landed in 10th place. Reflecting on his race, Negomir stated, “My goal was to put down something where I could stand in the finish and say I didn’t have any regrets.”
Women’s Skiathlon: Sweden Dominates with Gold and Silver
Team Sweden showcased its prowess in the women’s 10km+10km skiathlon at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme, Italy, sweeping both the gold and silver medals.
Frida Karlsson powered her way to the top of the podium, completing the 20-kilometer course in 53 minutes, 45.2 seconds. Her teammate, two-time reigning world champion Ebba Andersson, secured the silver medal, crossing the finish line 51 seconds later. Norway’s Heidi Weng earned the bronze, continuing a remarkable trend where either a Swedish or Norwegian woman has claimed skiathlon gold in the last five Winter Olympics.
For Team USA, star Jessie Diggins faced an early setback with a fall that unfortunately dashed her medal hopes in the opening cross-country race. Despite finishing eighth, 2 minutes, 21.1 seconds behind Karlsson, Diggins expressed unwavering confidence.
“I’ve had so much love and so much support from so many amazing people back home,” Diggins shared. “And I just really wanted to bring them joy and just go out there and race my heart out and that’s what I did today. I’m really proud of that.”
While this race didn’t yield a medal, Diggins found reassurance in her performance. “Oh, there’s so many races to go,” she said.
“I was really proud of this skate half. I’m really encouraged by where my body is at.
There’s so many variables that need to come together to have a good race.”