Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland delivered a commanding performance on the Stelvio course to win the Olympic men's downhill on Saturday, posting a gold-medal time of 1:51.61. The 24-year-old's run left little room for error as he held a clean line down the sunlit track and finished 0.70 seconds ahead of the nearest challenger.
Italy's Giovanni Franzoni, competing in front of approximately 7,000 spectators at the Italian resort, led an energetic local challenge and claimed the silver medal, finishing 0.20 seconds behind von Allmen. Veteran Italian Dominik Paris, widely regarded for his success on the Stelvio with six prior downhill victories on the iconic piste, completed the podium in third place, 0.50 seconds adrift of the winner.
Pre-event expectations had centred on Marco Odermatt, who has dominated men's Alpine skiing in recent seasons and entered the blue-riband event as the favourite to add another Olympic downhill title to his record after winning giant slalom gold at the 2022 Games. The 28-year-old, described in the event coverage as the World Cup leader, ultimately finished fourth and did not reach the podium.
Reflecting on his result, the World Cup leader said: "I actually felt very good on the snow, on the slope, I had a good run. I don’t know what I would change right now if I could do again. It was just not fast enough."
The race unfolded under clear conditions on the famed Stelvio piste, where von Allmen's precise ski line and speed produced the decisive margin. The podium combined a breakthrough gold for the Swiss racer, a strong home showing for an emerging Italian talent, and another notable result for an experienced Italian downhill specialist.
Event details
- Gold: Franjo von Allmen (Switzerland) - 1:51.61
- Silver: Giovanni Franzoni (Italy) - 0.20 seconds behind
- Bronze: Dominik Paris (Italy) - 0.50 seconds behind
- Fourth: Marco Odermatt (Switzerland) - 0.70 seconds behind the winner
The result marked an unexpected outcome relative to pre-race predictions and highlighted the narrow margins that can separate medal positions on a renowned downhill course.