Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Freestyle & More at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina continue to deliver dramatic moments and unexpected results. From stunning upsets in alpine combined to heartbreaking finishes in cross-country skiing and freestyle slopestyle, athletes are pushing their limits on the world stage. Here’s a look at the latest developments from .
Women’s Alpine Combined: Austrian Triumph, Shiffrin Falls Short
Austria secured a surprising victory in the women’s team alpine combined event. The result came as a shock, particularly as it meant Mikaela Shiffrin failed to medal. Details of the Austrian team composition were not immediately available, but their performance clearly exceeded expectations. The Swiss team, comprised of Jasmine Flury and Wendy Holdener, finished sixth, whereas Corinne Suter and Camille Rast placed ninth. Flury did manage a third-place finish in the slalom portion of the event.
Other Swiss pairings, Eliane Christen with Delia Durrer, and Schmitt/Meillard, faced elimination. Christen took risks in her slalom run that ultimately didn’t pay off, while Schmitt missed a gate while pushing for a strong time.
Cross-Country Skiing: Disappointment for Fähndrich
Nadine Fähndrich experienced a disappointing outcome in the women’s sprint classic at Tesero, being eliminated in the quarter-finals. Despite qualifying with the fifth-fastest time, Fähndrich faltered in the final stretch of her quarter-final race, finishing 2.05 seconds behind the leading Linn Svahn. Svahn was then surpassed by her compatriot, Anja Weber. Lea Fischer, the third Swiss competitor, also failed to advance. The Swiss men – Valerio Grond, Noe Naeff, and Janik Riebli – also all exited in the quarter-finals.
Freestyle Skiing: Ragettli Misses Out on Podium
Andri Ragettli narrowly missed a medal in the men’s slopestyle competition. After holding a podium position for much of the event, the Swiss skier was overtaken by New Zealand’s Luca Harrington on the final run. Harrington’s performance proved to be enough to secure the bronze medal. This continues a frustrating Olympic run for Ragettli, who finished fourth at the 2022 Beijing Games. Kim Gubser finished 10th for Switzerland.
Ice Hockey: Swiss Women Fall to Finland
The Swiss women’s ice hockey team suffered their third defeat in four games, losing 3-1 to Finland. The loss leaves Switzerland fifth in Group A with two points. They will face either the Czech Republic or Finland again in the quarter-finals, depending on the outcome of Finland’s final group stage match against Canada. If Finland wins against Canada, Switzerland will face the Czech Republic.
Figure Skating: Britschgi Advances to Free Skate
Lukas Britschgi qualified for the free skate portion of the men’s figure skating competition, finishing 19th in the short program. Despite a fall during his routine, Britschgi scored 80.87 points, 27.29 points behind leader Ilia Malinin. Britschgi, who fell while attempting a quadruple loop, will need to close a 7.83-point gap to reach the top eight and secure a diploma.
Biathlon: Swiss Men Struggle in Individual Race
The Swiss biathletes had a challenging day in the men’s 20km individual race at Anterselva. Joscha Burkhalter was the top Swiss finisher, placing 36th with a time of 5:50 and three penalties. Niklas Hartweg finished 59th (7:40, 6 penalties), Sebastian Stalder 60th (7:46, 3 penalties), and Jérémy Finello 63rd (8:13, 7 penalties). The race was won by Norway’s Johan-Olav Botn.
Luge: Maag Finishes Just Off the Podium
Natalie Maag finished ninth in the women’s singles luge competition, narrowly missing her goal of a top-eight finish and Olympic diploma. The gold medal went to Germany’s Julia Taubitz, who has dominated the World Cup circuit this season.