What a moment for Swedish skiing! Veteran star Anna Swenn-Larsson (@annaswennlarsson) finally etched her name on the Olympic podium, securing a heartfelt bronze medal in the women’s slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics — her first Olympic medal ever after years of near-misses and determination.
The 34-year-old delivered a gritty, emotional performance on the Tofane course, finishing third with a combined time of 1:40.81 (+1.71 seconds behind the winner). She held off fierce competition to claim the podium spot behind dominant gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin of the USA (1:39.10) and silver medalist Camille Rast of Switzerland (1:40.60).
Tears flowed freely as Swenn-Larsson crossed the line and later stood on the podium — a long-awaited breakthrough for the slalom specialist who had previously finished 5th in Sochi 2014, 11th in PyeongChang 2018, and 9th in Beijing 2022. This bronze caps a career highlighted by World Cup wins, a World Championship silver in Åre 2019, and countless top-10 finishes, but Olympic hardware had eluded her until now.
The race was a thriller: Swenn-Larsson posted solid runs (48.29 in Run 1, 52.52 in Run 2), surging into bronze position amid tight margins and high stakes. The emotion was raw — fist pumps, hugs with rivals, and pure joy radiating from the Swedish camp.
For Swenn-Larsson, competing in what many believe could be her final Olympics, this medal is a perfect, tear-jerking reward for perseverance and passion. “First ever” never felt so earned. 🥹👏🏻
Shiffrin’s gold added to her legend, but today’s spotlight shared the shine with Anna’s breakthrough — proof that dreams on snow can come true at any age.
