BORMIO, Italy (AP) — Swiss racer Franjo von Allmen brought home the first gold medal at the Milan Cortina Video games by profitable the downhill on Saturday. It’s his first Olympic crown in his very first Olympic toddle.
Now not so arrangement support, it wasn’t certain if there would be anymore “firsts” for him in ski racing. As a teen, and after the death of his father, von Allmen didn’t admire the money for racing — until a crowdfunding project helped out.
Now, the 24-one year-frail is king of the downhill.
On a list-ideal day in Bormio, von Allmen powered via the harsh Stelvio course in 1 minute, 51.61 seconds to withhold the Olympic downhill title within the Swiss family. His time used to be apt ample to withstand the price of Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni, who accomplished .20 seconds support to recount the silver medal. Franzoni’s teammate, 36-one year-frail Dominik Paris, had a immediate trot to take dangle of bronze and knock Marco Odermatt of Switzerland off the rostrum.
“I had an even time with the snowboarding presently time,” von Allmen acknowledged.
His snowboarding occupation used to be nearly derailed at 17. By diagram of crowdfunding he raised money and qualified for the national C team. He confirmed his large promise by profitable three silver medals, alongside side one in downhill, at the 2022 junior worlds in Canada.
That particular time, then all all over again, used to be no longer one thing he wished to revisit after the toddle.
“For me that chapter is closed,” he acknowledged via a translator. “I prefer to have in mind of what’s yet to come and what’s going down now.”
Aksel Lund Svindal, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion from Norway, thought to be von Allmen a accepted. Svindal used to be impressed with the younger racer’s performance all over a downhill earn in Switzerland leading into the Video games.
“It’s the snowboarding of someone that’s indubitably in secure so I’m no longer taken aback,” Svindal acknowledged from Cortina, where he’s coaching Lindsey Vonn. “Very apt snowboarding, clearly.”
The Swiss skier customarily goes below the radar of his compatriot Odermatt, who’s won four straight overall World Cup titles. They’re immediate pals and friendly rivals. They portion course knowledge but withhold a tiny bit support, too. Appears, von Allmen had the upper inside observe on the demanding hill.
“It’s indubitably (crap), to be fourth within the Olympics,” Odermatt acknowledged via a translation. “That’s the stupidest arena that you would possibly per chance well admire.”
This has been slightly a trot for von Allmen, who won the downhill at the world championships in Austria closing iciness. He’s the employ of the identical ski technician that Swiss racer Beat Feuz relied on to earn the downhill at the 2022 Beijing Video games earlier than retiring.
“It sounds like a movie,” von Allmen acknowledged. “How would possibly per chance well furthermore you imagine the Olympics higher than first of all a gold medal? Unparalleled. It’s demanding to negate it in words.”
Dwelling favorites
The stands had been filled with flag-waving fans. A pair of of the largest cheers had been reserved for Italy’s Franzoni and Paris, who went support-to-support.
Here’s a breakout season for the 24-one year-frail Franzoni, who’s from Manerba del Garda, positioned about 200 kilometers south of Bormio. Extra namely, it’s been a breakout 22 or so days. He won a World Cup clear-G in Wengen, Switzerland, on Jan. 16 and followed that up with a downhill victory in Kitzbühel, Austria, the following week.
To portion a podium with Paris, neatly, that’s one thing Franzoni voiced into actuality. He mentioned to Paris in December how good being podium on the identical podium would be — the previous and the mentor. It excellent so came about to be at the Olympics.
“I don’t know if he’ll continue racing next one year but right here’s the largest stage to portion,” Franzoni acknowledged. “He gives me a bunch of guidelines all over this season. He’s the kind of trusty man, a story, and it’s an honor for me to be on this team.”
Paris knows this course neatly, having won seven World Cup races at the venue. Rapidly after receiving his medal, he glanced up at the hill.
“It’s an even attempting, demanding mountain,” acknowledged Paris, who hails from Val d’Ultimo.
It used to be Paris’ first Olympic medal in his fifth Iciness Video games. He now turns into a bronze medalist apart from to being the vocalist of a heavy metal band known as “Upward push of Voltage.”
“I’m, for certain, a larger skier,” Paris cracked. “But while you happen to take dangle of stamp to metal, I’m no longer so frightening.”
The Twenty seventh racer to take dangle of the course, Kyle Negomir stumbled on a immediate line and vaulted into 10th arena for the pause American perform.
“My purpose used to be to assign down one thing where I would possibly per chance well furthermore stand within the perform and disclose I didn’t admire any regrets,” Negomir acknowledged.
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AP Sports activities Writers Andrew Dampf in Cortina and James Ellingworth in Milan contributed to this story.
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AP snowboarding: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-snowboarding and AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-iciness-olympics