Host Nation Italy Celebrates Golden Start to Winter Olympics
The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have commenced with spectacular success for host nation Italy, which secured gold, silver, and bronze medals during the first day of competition. This promising start has ignited celebrations across the country as Italian athletes delivered memorable performances across multiple disciplines.
Historic Gold for Italian Speedskating Star
Italian speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida marked her 35th birthday in extraordinary fashion by winning the host nation's first gold medal of these Olympic Games in the women's 3000 metres event. This victory represents not only a personal milestone but also a historic achievement for Italy, as it's the country's first ever gold medal in women's speedskating at any Winter Olympics.
Competing in her fourth Olympic appearance, Lollobrigida demonstrated exceptional skill and determination by outskating Norway's Ragne Wiklund to claim her first Olympic gold medal. This triumph follows her previous successes in Beijing four years ago, where she earned silver and bronze medals.
The journey to this victory has been particularly meaningful for Lollobrigida, who gave birth to her son Tommaso between the Beijing 2022 and Milano-Cortina 2026 Games. She expressed profound gratitude for being able to balance motherhood with her athletic career, especially during a home Olympics.
"The Olympics are in Italy, my family is here, and I did not have to choose between skating and being a mum," Lollobrigida shared emotionally. "I came back after giving birth, and I am proud of that. I am realistic. With the season I had, I thought I was fighting for bronze. But I just kept smiling and gave everything."
The athlete described how the enthusiastic support from Italian spectators, who chanted "lo lo lo lo" during her race, provided her with additional strength and motivation. Her son was present to celebrate the victory and even held the gold medal during television interviews, creating a heartwarming Olympic moment.
Switzerland Claims First Gold of the Games
While Italy celebrated multiple successes, it was Switzerland's Franjo Von Allmen who captured the very first gold medal of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympics. The 24-year-old Alpine skier achieved this honour in the men's downhill event, which served as the inaugural medal competition of the Games.
Von Allmen completed his run in an impressive time of one minute and 51.61 seconds on the challenging Bormio course. Despite being the early leader, the young Swiss athlete experienced considerable anxiety while waiting for his competitors to complete their runs.
"I tried to enjoy the moment, but I didn't quite realise what was going on today," Von Allmen confessed after his first Olympic race, reflecting on the significance of his achievement.
Italian Success on the Slopes
Italy's strong opening day extended to the Alpine skiing events, where Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris delivered outstanding performances in the men's downhill competition. Franzoni secured the silver medal while Paris claimed bronze, though neither could surpass Von Allmen's winning time.
For Paris, this bronze medal held special significance as it represented his first Olympic medal after four previous Games without podium success. The 36-year-old skier expressed particular joy at achieving this milestone before a home crowd.
"It's my fifth Olympics, and getting the first medal in front of the home crowd, that's really special," Paris remarked, highlighting the emotional importance of his achievement.
Other Notable Olympic Developments
The opening day of competition featured several other significant performances across various Winter Olympic disciplines:
- Figure Skating: Japan's Yuma Kagiyama delivered an exceptional short program in the team event, scoring 108.67 points with near-perfect quadruple jumps. This performance placed pressure on the defending champion United States team, though American skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates responded with a brilliant free skate to maintain their lead.
- Ski Jumping: Norway, the nation with the most medals in Winter Olympics history, secured its first gold of these Games through Anna Odine Stroem in the women's normal hill competition. This victory came as a surprise as Stroem outperformed Slovenian favourite Nika Prevc, who has dominated the sport throughout the season.
- Snowboarding: Japan celebrated its first gold medal of the Games when Kira Kimura triumphed in the men's big air competition in Livigno. His teammate Ryoma Kimata claimed silver, while defending champion Su Yiming of China earned bronze.
- Injury Comeback: American skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn completed another downhill training run despite tearing her left ACL just over a week before competition. The 41-year-old athlete, wearing a substantial brace on her injured knee, finished third in training and declared herself ready for Sunday's medal race.
The successful opening day has established an exciting foundation for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, with host nation Italy demonstrating strong competitive form across multiple sports while athletes from various nations have already created memorable Olympic moments.
