The 2026 Winter Olympics alpine skiing program opens on February 7 with the men's downhill in Bormio, Italy, featuring top contenders like Switzerland's Marco Odermatt and American Ryan Cochran-Siegle. The women's downhill follows on February 8 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, where Lindsey Vonn aims for a comeback despite a recent ACL injury. This event promises high-speed action and compelling storylines from global stars.
The alpine skiing competition at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics kicks off with the men's downhill on Saturday, February 7, at 11:30 CET (5:30 a.m. ET) at the Stelvio Ski Center in Bormio, Italy. This speed event involves skiers racing down a steep course in a single run, typically lasting 1:30 to 2 minutes, with the fastest time determining the winner. Gates must be navigated without disqualification, emphasizing both speed and precision.
Switzerland enters as a favorite, led by Marco Odermatt, the reigning four-time World Cup overall champion and a medal hopeful in downhill, super-G, and giant slalom. His teammate Franjo von Allmen, the 2025 world champion, recently won in Crans Montana, boosting confidence. Von Allmen said, “It gives a lot of confidence. I’ll try to show my best skiing in Bormio.” Odermatt added, “The downhill is the biggest discipline in our sport, but in the end if you are able to win a medal, you have to take it wherever it is.”
Italy's home crowd will cheer Dominik Paris, who has seven World Cup wins on the Stelvio slope, and Giovanni Franzoni, fresh off a Kitzbühel victory. In training, Franzoni posted top-five times, noting, “We are a good team, we are skiing really well.” For Team USA, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Beijing silver medalist, leads alongside Bryce Bennett, Kyle Negomir, and Sam Morse.
The women's downhill on Sunday in Cortina d'Ampezzo highlights Lindsey Vonn's return at age 41. Despite rupturing her ACL last week, Vonn trained successfully with a brace and plans to compete. She stated, “Considering how my knee feels, I feel stable, I feel strong... I am confident that I can compete on Sunday.” Her coach, Aksel Lund Svindal, confirmed, “She's been very committed... She is convinced this will work.” Reigning world champion Breezy Johnson also represents the U.S., facing challengers like Germany's Emma Aicher and Italy's Sofia Goggia and Nicol Delago.
The full alpine schedule runs through February 18, covering super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and team events, but without a mixed team competition due to separate venues for men and women. Viewers in the U.S. can stream on Peacock, with select coverage on USA Network and NBC.
