Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen and Norway’s Anna Odine Stroem claimed gold medals on Saturday, marking standout performances on the first full day of competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Von Allmen captured the first gold medal of the Games with a dominant victory in the men’s Alpine skiing downhill on the Stelvio slope, beating Swiss teammate and world number one Marco Odermatt by 0.70 seconds.
“It’s a crazy, crazy feeling, feels like a movie,” the 24-year-old said after the race. “I tried to see it as a normal ski race — like a World Cup race. But when I see the medal now, it’s a little bit more special. To start like this in the Olympics, it’s crazy.”
Von Allmen said staying relaxed was key to his performance on the demanding course.
“I started off relatively relaxed and took the whole thing easy,” he said. “Getting nervous wouldn’t have helped me anyway, and in the end, it turned out quite well.”
He added that the Olympic atmosphere felt surprisingly familiar. “Until today, it was actually relatively normal, a typical World Cup race. The atmosphere here is comparatively relaxed, but when you see the medals now, you notice the mood is different after all.”
Von Allmen’s path to Olympic success was far from straightforward. After losing his father at the age of 17, financial difficulties nearly ended his career. A trained carpenter, he turned to crowdfunding to fund another season, which ultimately led to his World Cup debut in 2023 and his rise to the top of the sport.
Meanwhile, Norway’s Anna Odine Stroem won gold in the women’s normal hill ski jumping event, highlighting her consistency, technical precision and years of dedication to the discipline.
The victory marks a major milestone in Stroem’s career and adds to Norway’s strong tradition in ski jumping. Competing under clear skies, Stroem delivered a composed performance to secure the top step of the podium.
With cowbells ringing, flags waving and early medals decided, the Milano Cortina Olympics opened with dramatic performances across Alpine skiing and ski jumping, setting the tone for the days of competition ahead.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be '...
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iran on Saturday (7 March), while the Uni...
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, inc...
Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport came under attack in heavy airstrikes on early Saturday morning (7 March), Iranian ne...
Baku has completed its evacuation of staff from the Azerbaijan Consulate General in Tabriz, while most employees from...
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be 'hit very hard'. His comments came a week into the conflict with Iran, which has spread across the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened further attacks on Iran on Saturday (7 March), while the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia continued to shoot down missiles in their airspace. Meanwhile, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would stop attacking its neighbours.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, including two children. Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekov, said 10 residents died after a Russian ballistic missile hit a five storey apartment block in the city.
Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport came under attack in heavy airstrikes on early Saturday morning (7 March), Iranian news agencies reported.
Officials in Azerbaijan have said they have stopped terror attacks in Azerbaijan including on an Israeli Embassy, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and a Synagogue. Tensions between regional and global powers escalate. Military activity, security alerts and travel disruptions continue.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to expect further strikes on Saturday (7 March). In a post on social media, he said Iran would be 'hit very hard'. His comments came a week into the conflict with Iran, which has spread across the Middle East.
Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Israeli residents to evacuate towns within 5 km (3.11 miles) of the border between the countries in a message posted on its Telegram channel in Hebrew early on Friday.
The Israeli military says it has destroyed an underground bunker beneath Iran’s leadership complex in Tehran that it claims was built for former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The Azerbaijani State Security Service has said it has stopped Iran committing terror attacks against four targets in the country: Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan, a leader of the Mountain Jews religious community and the "Ashkenazi" synagogue.
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s second largest city in the early hours of Saturday (7 March) killed 10 people, including two children. Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekov, said 10 residents died after a Russian ballistic missile hit a five storey apartment block in the city.
A 35-year-old former rapper is on track to become Nepal’s next prime minister. Early counting in the elections on Friday (7 March) showed Balendra Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was leading in around 100 seats, far ahead of rivals.
Newly released FBI records summarising interviews with an unidentified woman contain allegations that U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to force her to perform a sexual act when she was a teenager, according to documents published by the U.S. Justice Department.
Australia’s move to ban social media access for children under 16 has intensified a global debate, as governments around the world weigh tougher rules amid growing concerns over mental health, safety and screen addiction.
Indonesia will restrict access to social media platforms for children under 16, its communications and digital ministry said on Friday (6 March), becoming the latest country to introduce online guardrails aimed at reducing the risks of addiction and cyberbullying.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment