►►Alpine skier Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland captured the men’s super-G title at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games on Wednesday, becoming only the third male alpine skier to claim three gold medals at a single Olympic Winter Games.
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy– The 24-year-old, already victorious in Saturday’s downhill and Monday’s team combined with Tanguy Nef, posted a winning time of one minute and 25.32 seconds. With the triumph, he matched the three-gold feats achieved by Austria’s Toni Sailer at Cortina d’Ampezzo in 1956 and France’s Jean-Claude Killy at Grenoble in 1968.
Despite the historic achievement, the reigning 2025 world champion appeared subdued after completing his run, suggesting he did not believe it would be enough for victory.
« I was sure that (run) wasn’t enough for the podium or even for the gold medal, » said Von Allmen. « Also, I had a little bit of luck, maybe with the bumps and slow snow. »
Asked about joining an exclusive group of three-time gold medalists at a single Winter Games, Von Allmen downplayed the significance of the milestone, saying his focus remained on the present rather than the record books.
« Honestly, it might sound stupid, but I’m not really interested in what’s on the paper, » said the Olympic debutant, adding that he just tried to « enjoy the Olympics here ».
« And maybe in a few years, it (the record) will be important for me. But for now, it isn’t really, » the gold medalist said.
American Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished 0.13 seconds behind Von Allmen to take silver, repeating his runner-up performance from Beijing 2022. Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt secured bronze, while France’s Nils Allegre, the first starter of the day, fell just 0.03 short of the podium behind Odermatt.
Home favorite Dominik Paris was denied a fairytale farewell appearance at his final Olympic Winter Games after his boot released from his ski midway through his run.
Paris said afterward that he was uncertain what caused the equipment failure, explaining that the ski detached as he navigated a bumpy section of the course while attempting to « push it at that moment ».
« I don’t know what happened because it’s a ski that I always used in the races. And I was always good. We would check what’s happened, » Paris said.
The 36-year-old, who earned bronze in Saturday’s downhill, acknowledged the disappointment but reflected positively on his overall campaign.
« It’s a bit heavy for me to accept that, but what do you do? I leave with a medal, it’s a big dream come true. I’m so happy that I finally achieved this result. It was nice to have it here at home. »
By Xinhua
