Marco Odermatt, the dominant force in men’s alpine skiing, added another shining piece to his Olympic collection with a hard-fought silver medal in the men’s giant slalom on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Stelvio Ski Centre in Bormio.
The 28-year-old Swiss sensation, already a Beijing 2022 giant slalom gold medalist and a multi-time World Cup overall champion, pushed to the limit but came up just short in a dramatic showdown. He finished 0.58 seconds behind historic winner Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (Brazil), who claimed gold in a combined time of 2:25.00 to deliver South America’s—and Brazil’s—first-ever Winter Olympic medal.
Odermatt’s silver marks his third medal at these Games, following a bronze in super-G and a silver in the team combined event. Switzerland’s depth shone through as teammate Loïc Meillard rounded out the podium with bronze, while another Swiss skier claimed fourth—underscoring the nation’s powerhouse status in the discipline.
Starting from a strong position after Run 1 (trailing Pinheiro Braathen by nearly a second but ahead of the field), Odermatt attacked the second run with trademark precision and power on the challenging Stelvio course. Despite the pressure and the bumpy, demanding terrain, he delivered a solid performance that kept him in contention until the final skiers crossed the line.
This result caps a remarkable Olympics for Odermatt, who entered Milano-Cortina as the overwhelming favorite in multiple events but has shown resilience amid fierce competition. His medal haul cements his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats, even as he hunts for more hardware in remaining races.
The race itself was electric: Pinheiro Braathen set the tone with a blazing opening run (1:13.92), forcing the field—including Odermatt—to chase. The Swiss star closed the gap impressively but couldn’t quite overtake the inspired Brazilian.
Emotional scenes followed at the finish, with Odermatt embracing his compatriot Meillard and tipping his helmet to Pinheiro Braathen’s groundbreaking achievement.
Congratulations to Marco Odermatt on another Olympic podium—and to the entire Swiss team for a dominant showing! 🇨🇭🥈 The passion for alpine skiing burns brighter than ever at #MilanoCortina2026.
