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Italy Shines on First Medal Day of 2026 Winter Olympics with Triple Podium Finish
Italy made a spectacular start to its home Winter Games on Saturday, capturing gold, silver, and bronze medals on the opening day of competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics, while Switzerland claimed the first gold medal of the Games.
Swiss Alpine skier Franjo Von Allmen delivered a stunning Olympic debut performance, winning gold in the men’s downhill with a time of 1 minute, 51.61 seconds in Bormio. The 24-year-old endured a nerve-wracking wait as competitors attempted to beat his time.
“I tried to enjoy the moment, but I didn’t quite realize what was going on today,” Von Allmen said after securing Switzerland’s first gold of the Games. The victory marks an impressive achievement for the young skier in his first Olympic competition.
Italian skiers Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris finished with silver and bronze, respectively, giving the host nation a strong presence on the podium in the first medal event. For Paris, 36, the bronze was particularly meaningful after coming up empty in four previous Olympic appearances.
“It’s my fifth Olympics, and getting the first medal in front of the home crowd, that’s really special,” Paris said, highlighting the significance of winning at home after years of Olympic disappointment.
Italy’s day of celebration continued on the ice when speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida delivered a birthday gift to herself and her country. Turning 35, Lollobrigida won gold in the women’s 3,000 meters, outpacing Norway’s Ragne Wiklund. The victory represents Italy’s first-ever gold medal in women’s speedskating at any Winter Games.
Competing in her fourth Olympics, Lollobrigida adds gold to the silver and bronze medals she won at the Beijing Games four years ago. Her athletic achievements continue a legacy of excellence from a famous family – her great aunt was the late Gina Lollobrigida, a celebrated actress of the 1950s and ’60s.
In figure skating, Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama delivered a near-perfect short program, landing impressive quad jumps to score 108.67 points in the team event. American Ilia Malinin, the two-time reigning world champion, finished second with 98.00 points. However, a brilliant free skate by Madison Chock and Evan Bates pushed Team USA’s score to 44 points – five ahead of Japan going into Sunday’s deciding free skates.
American star Lindsey Vonn continues her remarkable comeback story, completing another downhill training run in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The 41-year-old crossed the line in third position and told The Associated Press she was “all good” despite tearing her left ACL just over a week ago. Wearing a large brace on her injured knee, Vonn remains on track for Sunday’s medal race in a display of extraordinary determination.
For fellow American Jessie Diggins, the most decorated U.S. cross-country skier in history, the day brought disappointment. She finished eighth in the 20-kilometer women’s skiathlon in Tesero, more than two minutes behind winner Frida Karlsson of Sweden.
“I had a crash on the first lap, where my tip just disappeared in the slush, and unfortunately it was a tough spot where you lose all your momentum,” explained the 34-year-old Minnesota native, whose hopes for adding to her medal collection will now shift to upcoming events.
In women’s hockey, the United States dominated Finland 5-0 in a game attended by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who was seated alongside influencer and boxer Jake Paul. The Finnish team had recovered from a stomach virus that forced the postponement of their earlier game against Canada. Switzerland also faced health challenges, with one player testing positive for norovirus before their 4-0 loss to Canada.
Norway, historically the most successful nation in Winter Olympics history, secured its first gold of these Games in women’s ski jumping. Anna Odine Stroem upset Slovenian favorite Nika Prevc, who has dominated the sport this season. Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama claimed bronze.
Japan also enjoyed success in men’s snowboarding, with Kira Kimura winning the nation’s first gold medal of these Games in the big air event in Livigno. Teammate Ryoma Kimata took silver, while defending champion Su Yiming of China captured bronze, narrowly keeping 17-year-old American Oliver Martin off the podium.
As the first full day of competition concludes, the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics have already delivered memorable performances, with host nation Italy establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with on both snow and ice.
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12 Comments
A bronze medal in his fifth Olympic appearance must be especially meaningful for the veteran Italian skier Dominik Paris. Overcoming past disappointments to reach the podium in front of the home crowd is a real testament to his perseverance and skill.
The Winter Olympics always produce inspiring personal stories. I’m curious to learn more about Paris’ journey and what this medal means to him.
The young Swiss skier Franjo Von Allmen’s gold medal victory in his Olympic debut is quite an impressive feat. Holding off the competition to claim the first gold of the games must be an incredible feeling, both for him and the Swiss delegation.
It will be interesting to see if Von Allmen can build on this success and become a dominant force in Alpine skiing in the years to come. A gold medal at his first Olympics bodes well for his future.
The strong Italian showing on the first day of competition, with a sweep of the men’s downhill podium, is a great boost for the host nation. This will surely energize the home crowd and propel the Italian team to push for more medals in the days ahead.
It’s always exciting to see the host country perform well in the opening events of the Olympics. The Italians have set a high bar for themselves, and it will be thrilling to see if they can sustain this level of success.
This is an exciting start for the Italian team! A triple podium finish on the home turf is sure to energize the local fans and boost national pride. The young Swiss skier’s gold medal debut is also quite an impressive achievement.
It will be interesting to see if the Italians can keep up this momentum throughout the games. Home advantage can certainly work in their favor.
The Milan Cortina Olympics are off to a thrilling start, with the host nation Italy dominating the men’s downhill event and the young Swiss skier Franjo Von Allmen claiming the first gold medal of the games. This mix of local and international success is sure to make for an engaging and competitive Winter Games.
The opening day has set the stage for what promises to be an exciting and unpredictable Olympics. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the events unfold and which other nations emerge as contenders.
The first day of the Milan Cortina Olympics has set the stage for an exciting and competitive games. A Swiss gold and Italian sweep of the podium in the men’s downhill is a great start, hinting at the depth of talent across multiple nations.
It will be fascinating to see how the host nation performs over the course of the Winter Games. The early success is sure to galvanize the Italian team and their passionate supporters.