Switzerland Wins First Gold as Italy Celebrates Record-Breaking Opening Day

The 2026 Winter Games opened with a historic start for host nation Italy, which secured gold, silver, and bronze on the first full day of competition. However, Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen stole the early spotlight, capturing the first gold medal of the Milan Cortina Olympics in a thrilling men’s downhill.

Italian speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida celebrated her 35th birthday by winning Italy's first gold medal of the Games in the 3,000 meters. The victory marked Italy’s first-ever gold in women’s speedskating.

Lollobrigida, the great-niece of film icon Gina Lollobrigida, set a new Olympic record of 3:54.28, defeating Norway’s Ragne Wiklund. "It’s a birthday I will never forget," Lollobrigida said after her fourth Olympic appearance.

In Bormio, 24-year-old Franjo von Allmen won the men’s downhill gold in his Olympic debut, finishing in 1:51.61 on the daunting Stelvio course.

The podium was a triumph for the home crowd as well; Italians Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris took silver and bronze, respectively. For the 36-year-old Paris, it was a career-defining moment after coming away empty-handed in four previous Olympics.

While the U.S. has yet to medal, there were several key storylines, the defending champion Team USA holds a five-point lead over Japan (44–39) heading into Sunday's finals, bolstered by a strong free dance from Madison Chock and Evan Bates.

The 41-year-old legend Lindsey Vonn impressed in a training run just one week after tearing her ACL. She finished third in her heat and confirmed she is "all good" for Sunday’s downhill.

Jessie Diggins finished eighth in the 20km skiathlon after a first-lap crash in slushy conditions. Sweden’s Frida Karlsson took the gold.

The U.S. women’s Hockey team eased to a 5-0 win over Finland. Vice President JD Vance and boxer Jake Paul was among those in attendance.

Snowboarding: Japan swept the top two spots in men's big air, with Kira Kimura taking gold and Ryoma Kimata silver.

Ski Jumping: Norway's Anna Odine Stroem pulled off an upset in the women's normal hill, beating Slovenian favorite Nika Prevc.