Highlights of Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Day 1

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia

BEIJING, Feb. (Xinhua) -- Swiss alpine skier Franjo von Allmen won the first gold medal of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in the men's downhill on Saturday, while Italian veteran Francesca Lollobrigida set a new Olympic record in the women's 3,000m speed skating event to claim her first Olympic gold.

Gold medalist Franjo von Allmen (C) of Switzerland, silver medalist Giovanni Franzoni (L) of Italy and bronze medalist Dominik Paris of Italy pose for photos during the awarding ceremony for the alpine skiing men's downhill of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Bormio, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)

Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland reacts during the alpine skiing men's downhill of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Bormio, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)

Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy celebrates after the speed skating women's 3000m final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

In a fiercely contested men's snowboard big air final defined by soaring difficulty, defending champion Su Yiming earned China its first medal of the Games with a bronze.

Su Yiming of China reacts during the Men's Snowboard Big Air Final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

(260207) -- LIVIGNO, Feb. 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Kimura Kira of Japan celebrates during the Snowboard Men's Big Air final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Su Yiming of China looks at his medal after the awarding ceremony of the Men's Snowboard Big Air at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)

Like what Su had undergone in the qualification, China's another Beijing 2022 gold medalist, Gu Ailing, rebounded from an early setback to reach the women's freeski slopestyle final along with teammates Han Linshan and Liu Mengting.

Gu Ailing of China competes during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhang Hongxiang)

Gu Ailing of China reacts during the freestyle skiing women's freeski slopestyle qualification of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)

Sweden's Frida Karlsson clocked 53 minutes 45.2 seconds to capture gold in the women's 10km+10km skiathlon, 51 seconds ahead of compatriot Ebba Andersson.

(260207) -- TESERO, Feb. 7, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Gold medalist Frida Karlsson of Sweden celebrates after the Cross-Country Skiing Women's 10km+10km Skiathlon of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Tesero, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/He Canling)

At the Cortina Sliding Center, Germany's Max Langenhan led the men's singles luge standings after setting two track records from as many runs. The 26-year-old clocked 52.924 seconds in his first run before improving it to 52.902 in the second.

Svante Kohala of Sweden competes during the luge men's singles run 1 at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Max Langenhan of Germany competes during the luge men's singles run 1 at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Ding Xu)

Josie Johnson of the United States competes during the Ski Jumping Women's Normal Hill Individual of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in Predazzo, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

Zeng Ping of China competes during the ski jumping women's normal hill individual at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Predazzo, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Meng Yongmin)

Jin Boyang of China competes during the short program of men single skating for figure skating team event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

Charlene Guignard (R)/Marco Fabbri of Italy perform during the free dance of ice dance skating for figure skating team event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)

Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the short program of men single skating for figure skating team event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

Kagiyama Yuma (L) of Japan celebrates with his team after performing during the short program of men single skating for figure skating team event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)

Kagiyama Yuma of Japan performs during the short program of men single skating for figure skating team event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, Italy, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge)