Maryna Gasienica-Daniel, a 31-year-old Polish alpine skier, is set to become the fourth family member to compete at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, 70 years after her great-aunts and great-uncle participated there in 1956. The veteran of three prior Olympics will race in the giant slalom on February 15. She hails from a sporting family rooted in the winter traditions of Zakopane.
In the picturesque Italian resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Polish alpine skier Maryna Gasienica-Daniel is poised to evoke family history at the 2026 Winter Olympics. As the fourth member of her lineage to compete in this venue, she follows great-aunts Maria, an alpine skier, and Helena, a cross-country specialist, along with great-uncle Andrzej, a ski jumper—all of whom raced in the 1956 Games. This marks a 70-year interval since their appearances.
Gasienica-Daniel, now 31 and entering her fourth Olympics, expressed a sense of continuity. "I feel like it's coming full circle," she said. "I feel like my (great) uncle and aunts will be cheering for me. Always when I come to Cortina I imagine them being here."
Her recent form bolsters expectations. She finished sixth in the giant slalom at last year's world championships and has secured two career-best fifth places in World Cup giant slalom events this season. At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she placed eighth in the same discipline. She is scheduled to compete in the giant slalom on February 15.
The family's athletic heritage extends further. Great-uncle Jozef participated in Nordic combined at the 1968 Grenoble Games, while her sister Agnieszka raced in alpine events at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Originating from Zakopane, a hub for winter sports in Poland, Gasienica-Daniel attributes their path to local culture. "We come from Zakopane. It's a winter place and there's not much else to do besides sport," she noted. "It was our destiny to be a sports family."
This personal narrative underscores the enduring legacy of Olympic participation across generations in alpine skiing.
