Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen clinched the gold medal in the men’s downhill event at the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games. The competition took place in Bormio, Italy, on a flawless day where von Allmen completed the challenging Stelvio course in a time of 1 minute and 51.61 seconds. This performance was enough to secure victory over Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni (1:51.81), who settled for silver.
Franzoni’s compatriot, Dominik Paris, claimed the bronze with a time of 1:52.11, pushing Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt (1:52.31) out of the top three positions.
Von Allmen’s win continues the Swiss dominance in the Olympic downhill event, following Beat Feuz’s triumph at the 2022 Beijing Games before his retirement. Meanwhile, the highest-ranking Canadian skier was Jack Crawford from Toronto, finishing in ninth place with a time of 1:53.00, 1.39 seconds behind von Allmen.
In a post-race interview, Crawford expressed his satisfaction with his performance but acknowledged making some errors that prevented him from reaching the podium. He highlighted a particular mistake that significantly affected his speed during the race.
Other Canadian skiers’ results included Cam Alexander from North Vancouver in 14th place, Jeff Read from Canmore in 25th, and Brodie Seger, also from North Vancouver, finishing 28th overall.
Von Allmen, aged 24, who shares a friendly rivalry with Odermatt, the four-time consecutive overall World Cup champion, showcased his prowess on the challenging course. The Swiss skier had a successful season, adding the Olympic downhill victory to his previous win at the world championships in Austria.
The event drew enthusiastic crowds, with fans cheering for the Italian skiers Franzoni and Paris, who claimed silver and bronze medals, respectively, marking Italy’s first medals at the Milano-Cortina Games.
Franzoni, a 24-year-old rising star from Manerba del Garda, has had an exceptional season, securing wins in World Cup events leading up to the Olympics. Paris, a seasoned skier with multiple World Cup victories at the venue, earned his first Olympic medal after five Winter Games. Interestingly, Paris is also known for his involvement as the lead vocalist in a heavy metal band named “Rise of Voltage.”
Overall, the competition showcased thrilling performances and highlighted the talents of skiers from various countries, adding excitement to the ongoing Milano-Cortina Winter Games.