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Oriol Cardona made history by winning the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in the ski-mountaineering sprint. It is a landmark achievement for Spanish sport, marking the country’s first gold medal at a Winter Games since Francisco Fernández Ochoa won the slalom in Sapporo back in 1972.
Cardona, the undisputed world number one who arrived as the Milano-Cortina Games’ favorite, was able to live up to the pressure. He was the best at all stages of the competition. His fastest times were in the semifinals and qualifying rounds, before his masterclass in final.
Ski mountaineering is a new sport at the Olympics this year. Cardona made sure that Spain would be the first nation on top of its throne. Cardona, visibly emotional at the finish line, told reporters that he had dreamed about this moment for many years. It is a great honor to bring the gold back home after such a wait.
The 31-year-old from Banyoles utilized his trademark explosive pace during the transition phases—switching from skiing uphill with “skins” to carrying skis on his back—to pull away from his rivals.
Spain’s winter sport drought had lasted for 54 years despite a few bronze and silver medals over the last decades. Cardona’s win is expected spark a renewed interest in alpine activities across the Pyrenees.
Lessons learned
Jon Kistler also from Switzerland was the winner of the event. The champion Oriol Carona was second. The Spaniard had been unable to complete the transitions when removing the skis or skins. He took advantage of this. Cardona learned from Cardona’s moment of doubt and completed a near-perfect final less than an hour after.
“I had been looking forward to letting it go …. The nerves were high, but the event went smoothly, and I felt fantastic. I’m speechless… Anita a third place The Olympic champion said from the finish, “Me a first… we took home two medals …”,” with an emotional dedication to the grandfather he lost a few decades ago. “I’d like to thank all those who have supported me over the years. It was about time there was a second Olympic champion,” concluded Oriol Cardona, the man who managed, half a century later, to inscribe his name alongside that of the eternal Paquito Fernández Ochoa.
