Milan's First Gold Goes to Swiss Skier on His First Try

In his first Olympic race ever, Franjo von Allmen delivered Switzerland the first gold medal to be awarded in the 2026 Winter Games, winning the men's downhill on the Stelvio course in Bormio on Saturday with what the Athletic described as "a magnificent performance." The 24-year-old posted a time of 1:51.61 to edge Italy's Giovanni Franzoni by 0.20 seconds on the demanding 3.2-kilometer track known for its speed. The home country also took bronze, with Dominik Paris finishing 0.50 seconds behind von Allmen. "It hasn't settled in yet," von Allmen said after the victory. "I tried to enjoy the moment, but I didn't realize quite what was going on today."

Von Allmen marked his win with a celebratory gesture he said was inspired by the Simmental cow, a breed from his home region in the canton of Bern. He called racing in an Olympics so close to home "crazy" with family and fans in attendance. He had entered the Games as a rising contender after winning the final World Cup downhill before the Olympics, capping a trajectory that included a crowdfunding campaign when he was 17 to keep his career going after his father's death. Von Allmen wasn't interested in reflecting on that period, he said Saturday. "For me that chapter is closed," he said through a translator, per the AP. "I prefer to concentrate on what's yet to come and what's happening now."