Ski mountaineering carved its place in Winter Olympic history at Milano Cortina 2026, with Spain's Oriol Cardona Coll and Switzerland's Marianne Fatton claiming the sport's first gold medals. Coll dominated the men's sprint in 2:34.03, ending Spain's 54-year Winter Games gold drought, while Fatton's strategic final climb secured her victory in 2:59.77.
Asian athletes made notable strides in the debut event. China's Buluer achieved a landmark eighth-place finish in the men's competition – the highest Olympic ranking ever by an Asian male in ski mountaineering. The 18-year-old Chinese prospect Cidanyuzhen gained valuable experience despite not advancing past the women's qualifiers.
"This showcases our growing winter sports capabilities," said a Chinese team spokesperson, highlighting Beijing's post-2022 initiatives to develop niche disciplines. The results come as China continues expanding its winter sports infrastructure following the Beijing Winter Olympics.
