Milano–Cortina 2026: Franjo von Allmen wins first gold of Winter Olympics
Swiss alpine skier Franjo von Allmen delivered the first gold medal moment of the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with a commanding downhill victory in Bormio, as Italy, Japan, Switzerland and the United States all made early statements across alpine skiing, figure skating, speed skating, snowboarding and ski jumping.
The Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics burst into life on Saturday, and it was Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen who etched his name into Olympic history by claiming the first gold medal of the Games.
Under clear skies in Bormio, the 24-year-old produced a fearless downhill run on the iconic Stelvio course to win the men’s alpine downhill, widely regarded as one of the most prestigious events in winter sport. His victory set the tone for a Swiss men’s team that arrived in Italy as reigning world champions after dominating the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach.
Von Allmen masters the Stelvio
Von Allmen handled the steep gradients, blind drops and high-speed transitions of the Stelvio with remarkable composure, finishing ahead of Italian duo Giovanni Franzoni and veteran Dominik Paris to deny the host nation a golden start.
Pre-race favourite and Swiss teammate Marco Odermatt was forced to settle for fourth, underlining the fine margins that define downhill racing at Olympic level.
“At the moment it feels like a movie,” von Allmen said afterward, grinning as he absorbed the magnitude of becoming the first Olympic champion of Milano–Cortina 2026. The result reinforced Switzerland’s depth in men’s alpine skiing and immediately positioned von Allmen as one of the breakout stars of these Games.
Figure Skating Spotlight: Malinin makes Olympic Debut
While the mountains delivered drama at speed, the ice provided its own intrigue as American skating star Ilia Malinin made his long-awaited Olympic debut in the team event.
The 21-year-old two-time world champion, famous for redefining technical limits in men’s skating, admitted he was not at full capacity during his short programme. Despite flashes of brilliance and a crowd-pleasing backflip, Malinin was outscored by Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who topped the segment and kept Japan firmly in the medal hunt.
“I’m pretty happy because that’s only about 50 percent of my full potential,” Malinin said. “I wasn’t here to win today, I was just excited to finally skate at the Olympics.” The figure skating team competition concludes Sunday, with the United States defending its Beijing 2022 gold.
Emotional Gold for Italy on home ice
Italy’s first gold medal arrived in deeply emotional fashion as speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida claimed victory in the women’s 3,000 metres on her 35th birthday.
Lollobrigida shattered the Olympic record with a time of 3:54.28, drawing a thunderous response from the home crowd. Moments later, she embraced her young son Tommaso on the ice, after a volunteer sprinted across the arena to deliver him to her. The win marked a milestone moment for the host nation and injected early momentum into Italy’s medal campaign.
Snowboarding and Freeskiing deliver night-time drama
In Livigno, defending Olympic champion Mathilde Gremaud led women’s freeski slopestyle qualifying, while China’s Eileen Gu narrowly avoided elimination after an early mistake on the rails. Gu recovered on her second run to secure a place in Monday’s final, later revealing her mother urged her to “wake up and get it together.”
Under floodlights, Japan celebrated a historic breakthrough as Kira Kimura captured the country’s first-ever men’s snowboard big air Olympic gold. His decisive final run edged out compatriot Ryoma Kimata, with China’s defending champion Su Yiming taking bronze.
“I devoted everything to this season,” Kimura said. “To prove the doubters wrong at the Olympics is something I’ll never forget.”
Ski Jumping and Opening Ceremony Tensions
Norway added to its Winter Olympic pedigree as Anna Odine Strøm soared to gold in the women’s individual normal hill ski jumping event in Predazzo.
Away from competition, the Games were not without tension. The International Olympic Committee addressed crowd reactions during the opening ceremony after US Vice President JD Vance was booed when shown on stadium screens in Milan. IOC officials emphasised the importance of sporting neutrality and praised the warm reception given to athletes.
Protests over environmental concerns also unfolded in Milan, where police used water cannons to disperse demonstrators.
From alpine speed and skating artistry to emotional home victories and political undercurrents, the opening weekend of Milano–Cortina 2026 delivered exactly what the Winter Olympics promise: drama, diversity, and defining moments.
And with Franjo von Allmen already wearing gold, the Games have found their first headline hero.
SportsLigue