The Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics officially began Saturday with competitions across five different sports, marking the start of a two-week showcase of athletic achievement. Early events saw thrilling finishes and new Olympic records, as athletes from around the globe vie for the podium in Italy. here’s a look at the opening day’s results, including golden performances in alpine skiing, cross-country, speed skating, snowboard big air, and ski jumping.
Kimura Kira of Japan celebrates after winning gold in the men’s snowboard big air final on February 7, 2026, in Livigno – Photo: Hannah Mckay / Reuters
The Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics kicked off Saturday with medal events in five different sports, setting the stage for two weeks of thrilling competition.
- The day began with a dramatic finish in the men’s alpine skiing downhill, considered one of the marquee events of the Games. Swiss racer Franjo von Allmen blazed down the Bormio course in 1:51.61 to claim gold, followed closely by Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni for silver, and another Italian, Dominik Paris, taking bronze.
- Shortly after, the women’s 10+10 kilometer mass start cross-country ski race concluded, dominated by the Swedish team. Frida Karlsson secured a commanding victory, finishing nearly a minute ahead of her teammate, Ebba Andersson. Norway’s Heidi Weng rounded out the podium in third.
- The third medal event of the day took place at the Milan speed skating arena, where Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida struck gold in the women’s 3000 meters, setting a new Olympic record with a time of 3:54.28. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund claimed silver, and Canada’s Valérie Maltais took bronze.
- The men’s snowboard big air competition saw Asian athletes take center stage. Japan’s Kimura Kira topped the leaderboard with a combined score of 179.5, while his compatriot, Kimata Rjoma, secured silver with 171.5 points. China’s Su Ji-ming earned the bronze medal with a score of 168.5.
- In the women’s ski jumping normal hill individual event, Norway’s Anna Odine Ström soared to victory with jumps of 100 and 101 meters, earning a total of 267.3 points. She edged out pre-competition favorite Nika Prevc of Slovenia, who finished second with 266.2 points. Japan’s Marujama Nozomi completed the podium with 261.8 points.
After the first day of competition, Italy, Norway, and Japan are tied for the lead in the medal table, each with three medals (1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze). Sunday will see the Hungarian team begin their Olympic journey with cross-country skiers Büki Ádám and Kónya Ádám. One of the most anticipated events on the second day of the Olympics is the women’s downhill, where American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn will compete despite a recent ACL tear.
Eight champions will be crowned on Sunday, with the biathletes beginning their competition. The men’s singles luge event will also conclude, led by two-time world champion Max Langenhan of Germany after two runs. In Livigno, two more gold medals will be awarded in snowboard events. In Milan, the figure skating team event will come to a close, and the men’s 5000-meter speed skating race will be held. (MTI)
