History carved fresh tracks at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics as ski mountaineering debuted with adrenaline-pumping sprints! Spain's Oriol Cardona Coll and Switzerland's Marianne Fatton claimed the sport's first-ever gold medals, blending endurance and technical mastery on snow-covered peaks.
🔥 Coll's Golden Redemption: The reigning world champion dominated the men's sprint in 2:34.03, ending Spain's 54-year Winter Olympics gold drought. 'This feels like rewriting history,' Coll said post-race, as Individual Neutral Athlete Nikita Filippov and France's Thibault Anselmet took silver and bronze.
🚺 Fatton's Precision Triumph: In a nail-biting women's final, Switzerland's Fatton executed a flawless final transition to clock 2:59.77 – just 2.38 seconds ahead of France's Emilie Harrop. Spain's Ana Alonso Rodríguez secured bronze, while 18-year-old Chinese athlete Cidanyuzhen gained valuable experience in her Olympic debut.
🌏 Asia's Breakthrough Moment: China's Buluer smashed records by finishing eighth in the men's event – the highest Olympic/World Cup placement ever by an Asian male. 'This proves we belong in winter sports' top tier,' said the 24-year-old, sparking hope for future Games.
