Winter Olympics begin with first medals in men's downhill skiing
The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics have kicked off with excitement as the first medals are set to be awarded in men's downhill skiing. The opening ceremony featured spectacular cauldron lightings in both Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, with notable Olympic champions participating. Several sports, including curling and women's ice hockey, began before the official opening. Attention is now on top athletes vying for early Olympic glory.
What we know
- Men’s downhill skiing is the headline event, with Swiss racer Marco Odermatt favored to win but facing tough competition from Franjo von Allmen, Giovanni Franzoni, and Dominik Paris.
- Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lit the cauldron in Milan, while Sofia Goggia performed the honor in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
- Eileen Gu is starting her quest for three Olympic golds in freestyle skiing, competing against defending champion Mathilde Gremaud.
- Su Yiming aims to defend his big air snowboarding title, contending with strong Japanese competitors, including Hiroto Ogiwara and Kira Kimura.
- The US leads the figure skating team event after strong performances from Ilia Malinin, Madison Chock, and Evan Bates, with Japan close behind after Kaori Sakamoto's win in the women’s singles.
