Day 1 Preview: The Chase for Gold Begins in Milano Cortina

Day 1: The Quest for Gold Begins in Milano Cortina

Today’s Medal Events: Alpine Skiing (Men's Downhill), Speed Skating (Women's 3000m), Cross-Country Skiing (Skiathlon), Ski Jumping (Women's Normal Hill), and Snowboarding (Men's Big Air)

The wait is finally over. The flame is lit, and today the Milano Cortina 2026 Games shift from ceremony to competition as the first gold medals are officially up for grabs. While the festival atmosphere still lingers in the streets of Milan, the intensity hits a boiling point on the snow and ice. For the athletes in today's five medal disciplines, years of preparation come down to a single run or a final sprint. From the breakneck speeds of the Stelvio downhill to the high-flying spectacle of the Big Air ramp, Day 1 is set to crown the first Olympic champions of the 2026 Games and establish the early leaders of the medal table.

Alpine Skiing

Mens Downhill: The jewel of the Alpine crown will be decided on Day 0 as the Men’s Downhill takes on the legendary Stelvio in Bormio. Renowned as the most punishing track in the world, the Stelvio offers zero "glide" time—it is a relentless, two-minute sprint that demands pure leg strength and unbreakable focus just to finish in one piece. This high-speed descent sees racers plunge over 1,000 meters in vertical elevation, navigating pitches as steep as 63% and reaching top speeds exceeding 140 km/h (87 mph). The intensity is punctuated by the signature San Pietro jump, where skiers are catapulted over 50 meters through the air before a technical finish that tests the limits of human endurance. As the mountain finally reveals its champion, all eyes turn to the small circle of speed specialists capable of conquering the Stelvio:

Bib 2: James Crawford (CAN) is a proven performer on this ice, having finished second in the 2022 Bormio Downhill. A big-event specialist, he won Olympic Bronze in the Combined at Beijing 2022 and finished a heartbreaking 4th in the Downhill, missing a medal by just 0.07 seconds. Despite having a terrible season up to this point, he set the fastest time in the final training session by over 1.5 seconds, so he has to be considered.

Bib 7: Marco Odermatt (SUI) is the undisputed world number one, and while he is yet to win a Downhill on this specific track, he pushed the limits with a second-place finish in the 2023 World Cup race. The reigning Giant Slalom Olympic Gold Medalist is hunting the one major title missing from his resume. With 3 wins and 2 seconds out of 6 races this season, he is the red-hot favourite

Bib 8: Franjo von Allmen (SUI) is the youngest of the elite group and the reigning World Champion in Downhill. Making his Olympic debut, he arrives with immense momentum after winning the final World Cup Downhill in Crans-Montana just last week, likely the biggest challenger to his teammate Odermatt.

Bib 9: Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) is a master of the Stelvio who took the World Cup Downhill victory here in 2022. A double World Champion, he is the veteran leader of the Austrian team, looking to secure his first Olympic podium on a course that suits his technical precision, but with only one podium this season, the gold looks unlikely.

Bib 11: Giovanni Franzoni (ITA) represents the rising face of Italian speed and has spent years training on these slopes. Also making a high-profile Olympic debut, his recent victory at Kitzbühel proves he can handle the most "rattly" and dangerous tracks on the circuit.

Bib 12: Dominik Paris (ITA) is the undisputed "King of the Stelvio" with a record seven World Cup victories on this mountain. Competing in his fifth Winter Olympics, the 36-year-old veteran and the local hero is looking for his first Olympic medal to cap off a legendary career in front of a home crowd.

Bib 13: Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) is always a threat on technical ice, having consistently placed in the top 10 at Bormio and led the first practice session of these Games. The 2022 Olympic Silver Medalist in Super-G is looking to follow in his family's legendary footsteps by claiming a Downhill medal on one of the world's most difficult hills.

Other names worth mentioning: bib 10 Nils Allegre (FRA), bib 14 Mattia Casse (ITA) and bib 15 Florian Schieder (ITA)

Prediction: 
Gold: Odermatt
Silver: Paris
Bronze: Von Allmen

Cross-country skiing 

Women's 20km skiathlon: the first gold medal of the Olympic cross-country program will be decided on the gruelling trails of Lago di Tesero. Following recent FIS regulation changes to equalise race distances, the Skiathlon is now a brutal 20km test of endurance—10km in the traditional Classic style followed by a frantic pit-stop and 10km of high-speed Skate (freestyle). This increased distance turns the race into a pure war of attrition; the extra 5km over the old format means there is nowhere to hide for sprinters, and the high-altitude wall will hit much harder in the final laps. The main contenders for gold are:

Bib 1: Jessie Diggins (USA) enters as the overall World Cup leader and the heavy favourite for gold. The 20km distance plays perfectly into her massive aerobic engine; the longer the race, the more her legendary stamina separates her from the field. Having dominated the distance standings all season, she will look to stay tucked in during the classic leg before using her world-class skating technique to bridge any gaps and hunt for the one individual Olympic title missing from her trophy case.

Bib 2: Linn Svahn (SWE) is the wild card of the lead group. While she made her name as a sprinter, she has been the most consistent all-rounder this season, proving she can handle 20km of hard racing. Her goal will be to stay attached through the gruelling classic climbs. If she is still within ten seconds of the leaders entering the stadium for the final time, her explosive finishing kick makes her a terrifying prospect for the pure distance specialists.

Bib 3: Frida Karlsson (SWE) is the designated attacker of the field. Known for her high-octane, aggressive style, she is the most likely to blow the race apart early in the classic leg. Karlsson avoids tactical finishes, preferring to break the field on the hills. After a season of intense battles with Diggins, she will be looking to use the 10km classic section to build a lead that even the best skaters cannot close.

Bib 4: Ebba Andersson (SWE) is the reigning World Champion in the long-distance disciplines and arguably the best pure climber in the world. The shift to 20km is a major advantage for her, as it rewards her relentless tempo. She will likely work with Karlsson to ensure the pace never drops, aiming to turn the skate leg into a lonely solo grind for anyone who is not a specialist climber.

Bib 5: Victoria Carl (GER) has been the breakout star of the season, consistently crashing the podium party. She is a powerhouse in the classic technique and has the physical frame to handle the heavy snow often found at Lago di Tesero. If the leading Swedes start looking at each other tactically, Carl has the raw strength to launch a long-range attack and secure Germany’s first cross-country medal of the Games.

Bib 6: Heidi Weng (NOR) leads a Norwegian squad looking to reclaim their historic dominance. As a veteran who thrives in mass-start formats, Weng is a tactical genius who knows how to save energy in the draft. While she has not had the win count of Diggins or Karlsson this year, her experience over the 20km distance means she will not panic if a gap opens, making her a perennial podium threat.

Bib 7: Kerttu Niskanen (FIN) is the ultimate classic specialist. While she sometimes loses ground in pure freestyle skate races, she is arguably the strongest classic skier in the world right now. Her goal will be to blow the race apart in the first 10km. If she can build a thirty-second lead before the ski exchange, she has enough grit to hold onto a medal during the skate leg.

Bib 12: Katharina Hennig (GER) is another athlete who lives for the classic-to-skate transition. She is the anchor of the German team and a former Olympic gold medalist in the team sprint. She is significantly better at the 20km distance than she is at shorter sprints, and her ability to stay calm in a mass start makes her a major threat to move from the second row of the grid into the lead pack by the 5km mark.

Bib 15: Teresa Stadlober (AUT) is a high-altitude expert. She famously won bronze in the Beijing skiathlon by outlasting everyone on the final climbs. She often flies under the radar during the World Cup season but peaks perfectly for major championships. The punishing climbs at Lago di Tesero play exactly to her strengths, and she is much better at this 20km endurance test than she is at the 10km individual starts.

Bib 19: Sophia Laukli (USA) is the best pure climber in the field. While her bib number is high because she skips some World Cup sprint weekends, she is the reigning queen of the Alpe Cermis hill climb. If the pace is high and the race turns into a vertical battle on the skate leg, she can pick off the leaders one by one. She is a specialised mountain goat who thrives when the race becomes a war of attrition.

Other names to mention: Bib 8: Rosie Brennan (USA) Bib 10: Astrid Øyre Slind (NOR) Bib 13: Margrethe Bergane (NOR) Bib 14: Emma Ribom (SWE) Bib 16: Anne Kjersti Kalvå (NOR) Bib 17: Delphine Claudel (FRA) Bib 20: Moa Ilar (SWE)

Predition:
Gold: Diggins
Silver: Hennig
Bronze: Andersson

Speed Skating

Women's 3000m: The Women’s 3000m speed skating final serves as the high-velocity opening act for the long-track program at the Rho Fiera Milano. In this gruelling test of sustained power, skaters must hold a crouched, aerodynamic position for seven and a half laps, battling mounting lactic acid as they fight to maintain edge control at speeds exceeding 50 km/h. Unlike the tactical drafting of a mass start, the 3000m is a pure race against the clock where a single slip in the final 400 meters can be the difference between a gold medal and finishing off the podium. As the ice is freshly groomed for the final pairings, the focus narrows to the elite distance specialists who can maintain sub-32-second lap times under the crushing weight of Olympic pressure. The main contenders for gold are:

Joy Beune (NED): enters the oval as the heavy favourite and the current leader of the distance World Cup. After a career-best season where she claimed the World title, she has become the standard-bearer for the legendary Dutch program. Her greatest asset is her explosive opening lap, which forces her opponents into a desperate chase from the very first crossover, and she will be looking to secure her first individual Olympic gold by setting a mark that no one else can touch.

Ragne Wiklund (NOR): is the technical master of the distance and the primary threat to Dutch dominance. The former World Champion is known for her incredible lung capacity and her ability to skate flat lap times, meaning she barely slows down even as the race enters its most painful stages. If the ice in Milan is slightly heavy, her efficient, rhythmic style will give her a distinct advantage over the power-reliant skaters in the field.

Isabelle Weidemann (CAN): is a veteran of the distance who famously took silver in Beijing and specialises in the second half of the race. She is the ultimate pacer, rarely panicked by a fast start from her opponent, and she often finds another gear in the final 1000 meters to hunt down the leaders. Having the benefit of skating in the final heat, she will have the tactical advantage of knowing exactly what time is required to reach the top step of the podium.

Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA): carries the hopes of the host nation as she looks to repeat her podium heroics from four years ago. A master of the corners with a background in inline skating, she has spent more time training on this specific ice than anyone else in the field. With the roar of the home crowd behind her, the Italian star is the most likely disruptor to split the Dutch and Canadian favourites.

Valérie Maltais (CAN): has evolved from a short-track specialist into one of the most consistent long-track distance skaters in the world. Her ability to hold a tight, aggressive line through the turns makes her incredibly efficient, and she arrives in Milan after a season of consistent top-five finishes. While she may not have the raw top speed of the Dutch, her technical perfection makes her a perennial threat if any of the favourites falter.

Martina Sáblíková (CZE): is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a living legend of the sport who cannot be overlooked even at age 38. While she no longer possesses the explosive start of her younger rivals, she has been there and done that. She will likely set a benchmark time as she is in pair 6 that will leave the favourites looking nervously at the scoreboard for the rest of the evening.

Other names worth mentioning include: Marijke Groenewoud (NED), Momoka Horikawa (JPN), and Nadezhda Morozova (KAZ).

Predictions:
Gold: Beune
Silver: Weidemann
Bronze: Lollobigida

Snowboarding

Men's big air final (19:30 CET): The Men’s Snowboard Big Air final at the Livigno Snow Park is set to be the most technically progressive competition in the history of the Games. Standing atop a massive 40-meter ramp, the world’s best riders will launch themselves into three high-altitude attempts, with their final score determined by the sum of their two best tricks spinning in different directions. The progression of the sport has moved so rapidly since Beijing that the 1800-degree spins that once secured podiums are now considered the baseline, with the leaders pushing toward the mythical 2160 and 2340-degree marks. It's a rare final where every single finalist could medal, but the main contenders for gold are:

Hiroto Ogiwara (JPN) enters the final as the top qualifier and the man who has completely redefined the boundaries of the sport. Having landed the world’s first 2340 (six-and-a-half rotations) in competition just last month, he is the only rider in the field capable of winning with raw rotation speed alone. He qualified with a massive score of 178.50, and if he stomps his signature triple-cork variety in the final, he will be almost impossible to catch.

Ian Matteoli (ITA) carries the immense pressure and energy of the home crowd in Livigno. The 20-year-old prodigy posted the highest single-run score of the qualifying round—a near-perfect 93.75 for a switch backside 1980 melon grab—proving he has the technical precision to match the Japanese favourites. As the first Italian man to ever reach this level of Big Air dominance, a gold medal for Matteoli would be the defining moment of the Games for the host nation.

Su Yiming (CHN) is the defending Olympic champion and the most seasoned competitor in the final field. Despite a terrifying fall on his first qualifying run, he displayed veteran composure by landing back-to-back high-scoring tricks to secure his spot in fourth. While he may not be the highest spinner in the field, he has won this before, and his uncanny ability to land perfectly in high-pressure situations makes him a constant threat for the repeat.

Taiga Hasegawa (JPN) is perhaps the most versatile rider in the world, having been the first to land 1980-degree spins in all four directions. He arrives in Milan as the reigning World Cup Crystal Globe winner and a former World Champion. His style is a blend of extreme technicality and flawless execution; while others may throw bigger single tricks, Hasegawa’s "one-two punch" across his two best runs is often the most consistent score in the competition.

Kira Kimura (JPN) rounds out the dominant Japanese trio at the top of the qualifying leaderboard. Often overshadowed by Ogiwara and Hasegawa, Kimura is a clinical jumper who thrives in the nighttime conditions of the Big Air arena. His switch backside 1980 is one of the cleanest in the business, and he has a history of stepping up on his final run to snatch podium positions away from more famous names.

Valentino Guseli (AUS) is the ultimate wildcard of the final, having entered the competition only three hours before the qualifiers as a last-minute injury replacement for Canada’s Mark McMorris. Despite the lack of preparation, he produced an epic 91.50 on his final jump to scrape into the 12th qualifying spot. A multi-discipline star with a nothing-to-lose attitude, Guseli is known for taking massive risks that could either result in a spectacular crash or a surprise medal.

Other names worth mentioning include: Francis Jobin (CAN), Lyon Farrell (NZL), Rocco Jamieson (NZL), Oliver Martin (USA), Ryoma Kimata (JPN), and Dane Menzies (NZL), but as I said earlier dont be surprised if any of these medal.

Prediction:
Gold: Hasegawa
Silver: Ogiwara
Bronze: Yiming

Ski Jumping

Women’s Normal Hill Individual (1st round 17:45 CET - final round 18:57 CET): The Women’s Normal Hill individual final at the Giuseppe Dal Ben stadium marks the first major showdown for the ski jumping elite in Predazzo. This 109-meter hill is notorious for its technical sensitivity; because the "flight" phase is shorter than on the Large Hill, the result is almost entirely decided by the explosive power of the take-off and the aerodynamic transition in the first twenty meters. With the field deeper than it has ever been in Olympic history, the gap between gold and tenth place often comes down to the style points awarded for a perfect telemark landing. The main contenders for gold are:

Nika Prevc (SLO) enters the Games as the overwhelming favourite and the current leader of the World Cup standings. Much like her brother Domen on the men’s side, Nika has redefined the technical standard for the Slovenian team, possessing a flat flight style that carries her much further down the hill than her peers. She has spent the 2025/26 season racking up podiums with a calm, stoic demeanour, and she is the heavy favourite to claim her first Olympic title on Italian soil.

Eva Pinkelnig (AUT) is the veteran powerhouse of the circuit and the reigning World Cup champion. At 37 years old, her career is a testament to resilience, and she arrives in Milan-Cortina as the primary threat to the Slovenian dominance. Pinkelnig is a master of the large hill, so expect her to be stronger in the big hill event as she thrives when the wind is difficult and knows exactly how to adjust her flight path mid-air to squeeze out every possible meter.

Alexandria Loutitt (CAN) is the reigning World Champion and a history-maker for Canadian winter sports. She is known for her aggressive, high-risk style off the table, often taking a higher flight line than the rest of the field. While this can make her vulnerable to sudden gusts of wind, it also gives her the highest ceiling for distance. If she catches the right lift in the Predazzo valley, she has the power to shatter the hill record.

Jacqueline Seifriedsberger (AUT) provides a lethal second option for the Austrian squad. Currently ranked in the world's top five, she is the technician of the field, rarely making a mistake on the landing. In a Normal Hill event where distances are often neck-and-neck, Seifriedsberger’s ability to consistently earn 19.0 and 19.5 style points from the judges makes her a massive threat for the podium.

Yuki Ito (JPN) is the heart of the Japanese team and one of the most experienced jumpers in the world. After years of finishing just off the podium in major championships, she has found a new level of consistency this winter, sitting third in the overall world rankings. She is a specialist on Normal Hills, where her rapid transition from the take-off to the flight position gives her an immediate aerodynamic advantage.

Sara Takanashi (JPN) remains the most decorated ski jumper in history and a living legend seeking the one thing missing from her trophy cabinet: individual Olympic gold. While she is no longer the undisputed number one she was a decade ago, her experience in high-pressure finals is unmatched. She remains a clinical jumper who can exploit even the smallest error from the younger favourites to snatch a medal.

Other names worth mentioning include: Eirin Maria Kvandal (NOR), who has the highest vertical lift in the sport, Katharina Schmid (GER), the defending silver medalist, Pagnier Josephine (FRA), and Nika Kriznar (SLO).

Prediction:
Gold: Prevc
Silver: Seifreiedsberger
Bronze: Ito

Now the medal events are up and running, I will be focusing on them for my previews, but when interesting things happen i will sum them up in the summary post in the evenings of each day when things are worth mentioning.

-Daniel Mott