Franjo von Allmen took the first podium spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics downhill skiing competition.
With a time of one minute and fifty-one point sixty-one seconds, he edged out Italian skier Giovanni Franzoni by just two-tenths of a second. Franzoni's impressive performance earned him his nation's first medal at these Games.
Veteran Swiss skier Dominik Paris secured the bronze medal after crossing the finish line half a second behind Von Allmen, with an Olympic best time for a man over thirty-six years of age.
Von Allmen attributed winning his first gold to the emotions of being on home slopes. "It feels kind of like a movie, not really real," he said. However, when asked about what this victory means, Von Allmen was unable to provide any insight.
He experienced a meteoric rise to the top in skiing after initially struggling to finance his promising career following his father's passing at age seventeen. This loss nearly ended his racing career but ultimately led him on to crowdfunding and eventually onto the Swiss national ski team.
Von Allmen, twenty-four years of age, has become just the fifth Swiss downhill champion since 1948, after Marco Odermatt.
With a time of one minute and fifty-one point sixty-one seconds, he edged out Italian skier Giovanni Franzoni by just two-tenths of a second. Franzoni's impressive performance earned him his nation's first medal at these Games.
Veteran Swiss skier Dominik Paris secured the bronze medal after crossing the finish line half a second behind Von Allmen, with an Olympic best time for a man over thirty-six years of age.
Von Allmen attributed winning his first gold to the emotions of being on home slopes. "It feels kind of like a movie, not really real," he said. However, when asked about what this victory means, Von Allmen was unable to provide any insight.
He experienced a meteoric rise to the top in skiing after initially struggling to finance his promising career following his father's passing at age seventeen. This loss nearly ended his racing career but ultimately led him on to crowdfunding and eventually onto the Swiss national ski team.
Von Allmen, twenty-four years of age, has become just the fifth Swiss downhill champion since 1948, after Marco Odermatt.
. I mean, he's only twenty-four years old and he's already achieving Olympic gold, that's insane! He has this crazy backstory about how he struggled to finance his career after his dad passed away when he was seventeen... it's like, wow, talk about having a reason to push yourself to the limit 
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. It's almost as if he's still in shock or something. And when asked about what this victory means to him... crickets 
. That's fair, though, it's a pretty big deal and I'm sure he's still trying to process it all.
. And Dominik Paris coming in third with an Olympic best time for someone over thirty-six... that's some impressive skill right there 
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I think it's amazing how life takes unexpected turns and sometimes that 'falling off' can lead us straight to our true potential. It's inspiring to see Franzoni earn his nation's first medal, showing that even the smallest steps can take giant leaps! 
this kid's got heart and determination, can't deny that first podium win feels like a dream come true for him 
. but gotta wonder what's with all the mystery about his feelings on winning... maybe he's too humble or just not ready to share? 
either way, congrats Franjo on an epic performance!
He's so hyped to have won that gold on his home slopes and I can imagine it feels like something out of a movie 
! He's come so far from struggling financially after his dad passed away. The crowd must've been insane watching him skate down that mountain 
So stoked to see these Swiss skiers kill it on the slopes 
Dominik Paris was close 2nd tho, still a bronze is nothing to sneeze at 
this dude Franjo von Allmen is on fire 
! He went from struggling to finance his skiing career to becoming an Olympic gold medalist in like what, a week?! 
I mean, the emotions of being on home slopes must've played a huge role in him winning that first gold. It's like he's living his dream 
and it's so inspiring! 
. From crowdfunding to becoming a national team skier... talk about dedication and perseverance 
Can't wait to see what the future holds for this talented young Swiss skier 
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it's like he was robbed lol von allmen said winning is like a movie not real bruh what does he mean by that tho? 
. And can we talk about how convenient it is that he's only 24 and already becoming a legend? It's almost too easy 
. Still, props to him for the win and all, but I'll believe the "home slope" story when I see more than just a smile and a few carefully-worded quotes 