France's Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet won gold in the Olympic debut of the ski mountaineering mixed relay on Saturday in Bormio, Italy, with a time of 26:57.44. Switzerland took silver, Spain bronze, and the United States finished fourth after a close contest for the podium.
The mixed relay event at the 2026 Winter Olympics featured teams alternating uphill climbs and downhill skis at the Stelvio Ski Centre. France's Harrop and Anselmet led from the start, building a 10-second advantage after the first lap. Harrop powered through transitions despite a prior sprint mishap, while Anselmet maintained the lead in the second lap.
Switzerland's Marianne Fatton and Jon Kistler finished second in 27:09.30, extending the country's medal haul in Bormio. Spain's Ana Alonso Rodriguez and Oriol Cardona Coll secured bronze in 27:23.94, despite a three-second penalty for a transition error. The pair added to their sprint medals, with Alonso recovering from severe injuries sustained in a October car accident, including a torn ACL, MCL, fractured ankle, and separated shoulder.
The United States' Anna Gibson and Cam Smith placed fourth in 27:40.43, missing bronze by about 17 seconds. Gibson, who transitioned from trail running last September, and Smith, a sport evangelist since 2015, advanced as lucky losers in the sprint—Gibson ninth, Smith 11th. Their finish marked a milestone for U.S. ski mountaineering, which secured its first World Cup win in December.
Harrop and Anselmet, two-time world champions, added to their sprint medals (silver and bronze). Smith reflected post-race: "This is the first time in my life that I felt like I’ve done something in sport that really means something to other people." USA SkiMo head Sarah Cookler noted the sport's growing competitiveness: "It’s really only a matter of time before we can attract the strongest athletes for this and be really competitive."
The event highlighted ski mountaineering's European roots while showcasing emerging global participation.
