Italy and Switzerland Claim Historic Gold Medals on Milan Olympics Opening Day
Milan, 7 February 2026
Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen secured the first gold medal of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in men’s downhill skiing, whilst Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida delivered a remarkable performance on her 35th birthday, winning the host nation’s inaugural gold in women’s 3,000m speed skating with an Olympic record time of 3:54.28. The opening day showcased exceptional winter sports talent across multiple venues in Italy.
Building on African Winter Sports Momentum
The remarkable achievements on day one of the Milan-Cortina Olympics continue to inspire athletes from diverse backgrounds, including the historic African delegation that has captured global attention. As previously reported, South Africa has sent its largest-ever Winter Olympics team to these Games, marking unprecedented African representation in winter sports [1]. The success stories unfolding in venues across Italy demonstrate how winter sports excellence transcends traditional geographical boundaries, offering hope to athletes from warmer climates who are overcoming significant obstacles to compete at the world’s biggest sporting stage.
Switzerland’s Downhill Dominance Sets Championship Tone
Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen delivered a masterclass performance in the men’s downhill at Bormio on 7 February 2026, clocking a winning time of 1 minute 51.61 seconds [2][3]. The Swiss skier’s victory provided the perfect start to what organisers hope will be a memorable Games. Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni secured silver, finishing just 0.2 seconds behind von Allmen, whilst compatriot Dominik Paris claimed bronze with a time 0.5 seconds off the gold medal pace [2][3]. Paris, reflecting on his achievement, described the medal as completing “il cerchio” (the circle) of his career [4]. The Italian double podium finish energised the home crowd and demonstrated the host nation’s strong alpine skiing pedigree across multiple events.
Record-Breaking Birthday Performance Delivers Italy’s First Gold
Francesca Lollobrigida’s gold medal triumph in the women’s 3,000m speed skating proved to be the emotional highlight of the opening day, as she achieved the feat on her 35th birthday whilst setting a new Olympic record of 3 minutes 54.28 seconds [2][5]. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund claimed silver with a time of 3 minutes 56.54 seconds, followed by Canada’s Valerie Maltais in bronze position at 3 minutes 56.93 seconds [1][2]. Lollobrigida’s victory was particularly poignant given her recent journey as a mother returning to elite competition. “Onestamente volevo pattinare per il bronzo, il mio oro sarebbe stato quello: ma io sono una combattente,” she revealed post-race, acknowledging that she had initially aimed for bronze but her fighting spirit carried her to gold [3][4]. Her triumph also demonstrated that “Puoi essere una mamma e anche essere più forte” (You can be a mum and also be stronger) [4].
Multi-Discipline Medal Success Across Italian Venues
Beyond the marquee events, several other nations secured inaugural gold medals on 7 February 2026, showcasing the competitive depth across winter sports disciplines. Japan’s Kira Kimura dominated the men’s snowboarding big air event in Livigno, scoring 179.50 points to defeat compatriot Ryoma Kimata who finished with 171.50 points, whilst China’s Su Yiming claimed bronze with 168.50 points [1][2]. Norway’s Anna Odine Strøm triumphed in women’s normal hill ski jumping with a total score of 267.3 points, ahead of Slovenia’s Nika Prevc (266.2) and Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama (261.8) [1][2]. Sweden’s Frida Karlsson secured gold in the women’s 10km + 10km skiathlon, completing the challenging cross-country event in 53 minutes 45 seconds, with Norway’s Ebba Anderson taking silver in 54 minutes 36 seconds and Heidi Weng claiming bronze in 55 minutes 11 seconds [4]. These diverse results across multiple venues demonstrated the truly international character of winter sports excellence at the Milan-Cortina Games.