The inaugural Men’s Team Combined Alpine Skiing event takes place on Monday at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Switzerland fields a strong pairing of Marco Odermatt and Loic Meillard, breaking up their world championship gold-medal combination for the Olympic debut. Other contenders include Austria, host nation Italy and the United States.
Alpine skiing has been a fixture at the Winter Olympics since the 1936 Games, with individual combined events appearing in 1936 and 1948 before returning in 1988. However, the team format marks a new addition to the Olympic program, featuring one downhill run and one slalom run per team, with times combined to determine the winner.
The event kicks off with the downhill portion at 4:30 a.m. ET, followed by slalom at 8 a.m. ET, at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Switzerland, a powerhouse in the sport, pairs four-time World Cup overall champion Marco Odermatt in downhill with technical specialist Loic Meillard in slalom. This duo deviates from the gold-medal lineup that succeeded at the world championships, adapting for the Olympic stage.
Austria brings depth in both disciplines, while host Italy fields a competitive contingent with medal potential. The United States relies on Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s recent solid performance in the individual downhill to bolster their chances. Broadcasters air the event on the USA Network, highlighting the international rivalry and the thrill of speeds on the slopes.
As one of several new events at the Milan Cortina Games, the team combined underscores evolving formats in alpine skiing, blending speed and precision across nations.
