Home / Sports / Swiss Skier Claims Historic Gold in Olympic Downhill
Swiss Skier Claims Historic Gold in Olympic Downhill
7 Feb
Summary
- Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen won the first Olympic gold.
- Von Allmen beat Italian favorite Dominik Paris by fifty-hundredths of a second.
- Host nation Italy secured silver and bronze medals.
Swiss world champion Franjo von Allmen secured the first gold medal of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The 24-year-old triumphed in the men's downhill event held at the Stelvio Ski Center in Bormio on Saturday morning.
Von Allmen's winning time was 1:51.61, with his fastest speed reaching 83.77 mph. He edged out Italian favorite Dominik Paris by a margin of fifty-hundredths of a second to claim the historic victory.
The host nation, Italy, celebrated two podium finishes. Giovanni Franzoni, also 24, earned a silver medal in his Olympic debut, finishing just two-tenths of a second behind the Swiss winner. Dominik Paris, a five-time Olympian, secured the bronze medal.
American competitors faced challenges in the first medal event. Kyle Negomir finished in the top 10, while Bryce Bennett and Ryan Cochran-Siegle placed 13th and 18th, respectively. Sam Morse concluded the event in 19th place.
