Gold medalists Franjo von Allmen (R) and Tanguy Nef of Switzerland pose for a photo during the award ceremony of the alpine skiing men's team combined at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Bormio, Italy, Feb. 9, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
BORMIO, Italy, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Franjo von Allmen secured his second gold medal of the Milan-Cortina Winter Games on Monday, leading a Swiss sweep of the opening two men's alpine skiing titles by winning the men's team combined alongside teammate Tanguy Nef.
In a rare finish for an Olympic podium, two teams - Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr and Manuel Feller, and Switzerland's Marco Odermatt and Loic Meillard - finished with identical aggregate times to share the silver medal.
The event, which has replaced the mixed team parallel in the Olympic program, consists of two-man teams with one athlete competing in the downhill and the other in the slalom.
Von Allmen in action during the race. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)
Von Allmen, the reigning world downhill champion who captured his first Olympic gold in the men's downhill on Saturday, clocked one minute and 52.22 seconds in the opening speed leg to sit in fourth place.
The Olympic debutant admitted that he "had soft knees" when watching his teammate racing as the pressure mounted. "I definitely ski better than I watch races," the 24-year-old joked.
Nef then delivered a blistering slalom run of 51.82 seconds - the fastest of the second round - to propel the duo into the gold medal position with a combined time.
"Two gold medals are crazy," Von Allmen said afterward, crediting his partner for the victory. "The first one on my own was special, and this one is a little bit more special. I wouldn't have made it on my own today. Thank you to Tanguy. He made the difference today."
Nef in action during the race. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Nef, 29, said the realization of their victory only hit them after the final skier crossed the line. "We didn't allow ourselves to think that we were going to win the gold," he said. "But then it just happened."
The technical demands of the team combined - pairing the raw speed of downhill with the precision of slalom - favored nations with deep rosters, as powerhouses Switzerland, Austria and Italy each fielded a maximum of four teams.
The battle for the remaining spots on the podium resulted in a deadlock, as Kriechmayr and Feller tied with Odermatt and Meillard at 2:45.03.
Kriechmayr and Feller staged the most impressive comeback of the day, jumping from seventh after the downhill to a tying second place. For 34-year-old Kriechmayr, it marked a long-awaited first Olympic medal.
"I didn't expect the medal after my downhill result for sure, and Manuel made a fantastic slalom run," Kriechmayr said. "The luck and the hundredths [of a second] have been on our side."
Home favorites Giovanni Franzoni and Alex Vinatzer led the field after the downhill leg but struggled in the slalom, eventually finishing seventh. ■
