In a thunderous display of speed and precision just six days before the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Swiss sensation Franjo von Allmen delivered a masterclass on the iconic Piste Nationale, claiming back-to-back World Cup downhill victories in Crans-Montana and securing his fifth career win overall—his second of the 2025/26 season.
The 24-year-old reigning world downhill champion from Bern blasted down the demanding course in a flawless 1:55.00, leaving the field in his dust under brilliant sunshine and a roaring red-and-white home crowd. Von Allmen built an unbeatable lead in the top section, stayed razor-sharp through the jumps and rolling terrain, and crossed the line a commanding 0.65 seconds ahead of Italy’s veteran powerhouse Dominik Paris in second.
Rounding out the podium was Team USA’s Ryan Cochran-Siegle (@rc.s), who charged to third (+0.70) in a gritty, confident run—his second podium of the season and a massive confidence boost heading into the Olympic men’s downhill on February 8. It marked a strong showing for the Americans amid Lindsey Vonn’s ongoing recovery from her recent knee injury.
Von Allmen celebrated in style with the signature Didier Cuche flip, feeding off the electric Swiss energy that has made Crans-Montana a fortress for home athletes this weekend—following Malorie Blanc’s maiden Super-G triumph on Saturday.
“This is incredible—home soil, full throttle, the fans roaring… it doesn’t get better,” von Allmen said post-race, highlighting how the victory sharpens his edge for the upcoming Olympic defense. The win also snapped a podium drought for Paris, the Bormio specialist, while Cochran-Siegle proved his form is peaking at the perfect moment.
Notably absent from the top three was Swiss overall leader Marco Odermatt, who finished fourth—his first downhill miss off the podium since January 2025—adding intrigue to the Olympic medal picture.
As the final World Cup downhill before the Games wraps, von Allmen’s fearless performance sends a clear message: The Swiss downhill machine is firing on all cylinders, and the battle for gold in Cortina just got fiercer.
The countdown is on—watch this space as the world’s fastest skiers converge on Milano Cortina!
