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‘It’s History for Our Sport’: Ski Mountaineering Makes Its Olympic Debut on a Snowy, ‘Magical Day’
- On Feb 19, 2026, ski mountaineering debuted at the Milan–Cortina Games in Bormio, crowning Marianne Fatton the first Olympic champion, with Oriol Cardona Coll winning men’s gold 20 minutes later.
- Ski mountaineering was voted into the Olympic programme in 2021, and the skimo family said Olympic inclusion carried deep meaning for the sport's legacy.
- Competitors faced rapid transitions—removing skis to climb in boots, carrying skis in backpacks, ripping off skins—raced bracket-style in rounds lasting about three minutes, with snow falling.
- Cardona Coll said the gold 'means a lot' for Spain, delivering its first Winter Olympic gold since 1972, while Nikita Filippov became the first individual neutral athlete to earn a medal at these Games.
- With a relay to close the programme, skimo now has an Olympic foothold, as the sport's alpine roots and a course resembling a snow park suggest broader appeal.
28 Articles
28 Articles
The president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, congratulated the skiers Oriol Cardona and Ana...
The Spanish skier beat Russian Nikita Filippov, the first athlete to compete under a neutral banner to win a medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics-2026, and Frenchman Thibault Anselmet.
Televisión Española (TVE) has again given the note with its programming and, faithful to its contents since José Pablo López took over the presidency of RTVE, has preferred to place the Sanchista proclamation in La 1 -with Javier Ruiz at the front- before the historic gold medal of Oriol Cardona in the Winter Olympics. Despite the importance of the event, historical for the Spanish sport being the first gold in 54 years in some Winter JJOO, TVE …
Oriol Cardona Coll, Marianne Fatton win ski mountaineering sprint golds in event’s Olympic debut
The men’s sprint also saw Russian Nikita Filippov win the first medal at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games for individual neutral athletes when he claimed silver. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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