Benjamin Karl's Golden Tribute to Childhood Hero Hermann Maier
Austrian snowboarder Benjamin Karl, competing in his fifth Olympic Games at the age of 40, defied both the cold and expectations to secure a dramatic victory in the men's parallel giant slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The veteran athlete claimed his second consecutive gold medal in the event, demonstrating remarkable composure and precision throughout the competition.
A Planned Celebration Decades in the Making
Karl's victory celebration quickly became one of the most memorable moments of the Games. Immediately after crossing the finish line, the Austrian ripped off his shirt, flexed for the cameras, dropped face-first into the snow, and pumped his arms in triumph. This was not a spontaneous outburst of emotion but rather a carefully planned tribute to Austrian skiing legend Hermann Maier, Karl's childhood hero who once celebrated a victory in similar fashion.
"He was one of the greatest skiers of all time in Austria and he once did this," Karl explained. "I always wanted to do the same. I lost the chance in Beijing because I was so overwhelmed with emotions, and today I took the chance. I needed to wait 25 years to make this pose like Hermann Maier. Now I did it and this is the crown of my career."
Composed Victory Against Tough Competition
Karl's victory was secured by a narrow margin of just 0.19 seconds against South Korea's Kim Sang-kyum, with Bulgaria's Tervel Zamfirov completing the podium. This triumph marks Karl's fourth Olympic medal, adding to his impressive collection that includes silver from Vancouver 2010, bronze from Sochi 2014, and gold from Beijing 2022. Having already completed the full set of Olympic medals, Karl admitted to feeling unusually calm heading into the race, carrying less pressure than many of his rivals.
With retirement confirmed after this season, the scene felt particularly fitting: part triumph, part tribute, and entirely unforgettable. The Austrian's performance demonstrated that experience and emotional control can be just as valuable as raw athleticism in high-pressure Olympic competition.
Norway's Speed Skating Dominance Continues
Elsewhere at the Games, Norway's Sander Eitrem delivered a commanding performance in the men's 5,000m speed skating event. The 23-year-old world-record holder skated to gold with an Olympic-record time of 6:03.95, finishing more than two and a half seconds clear of the field. Czech teenager Metodej Jilek surged to silver, while Italy's Riccardo Lorello delighted the home crowd with bronze.
Competing at his first Olympics, Eitrem handled the pressure like a seasoned champion. Despite an initially poor start, he quickly found his rhythm and powered through the closing laps. His victory contributed to Norway's growing medal haul in Milano Cortina, making him the nation's third gold medallist of the Games and delivering Norway's 29th Olympic speed skating title overall.
"I put myself in a favourite position, so the pressure has been pretty high the last couple of days. I managed to pull it off," Eitrem commented after his victory.
Changing of the Guard in Speed Skating
The result suggests a potential changing of the guard in the 5,000m event, with the traditionally dominant Dutch team missing the podium in a second consecutive speed skating distance at these Games. While the Netherlands still reign supreme in the sport's all-time medal table, Milano Cortina is already indicating that Olympic speed skating's future may look different from its past.
Academic Pressures Meet Olympic Dreams
In a lighter moment that resonated with many viewers, Canadian figure skater Madeline Schizas revealed she had been balancing Olympic pressures with university deadlines. The 22-year-old discovered on Saturday that her sociology coursework was already overdue - right as she was competing in the women's short programme of the team event.
Schizas emailed her professor to explain the situation, then shared the story with her Instagram followers, where it quickly went viral. She posted a screenshot of her apology alongside the official announcement of her Olympic participation. Fortunately, the story had a happy ending: "Since it seems everyone was quite invested, I did get my extension lol," she posted before competing in the final free programme.
Medal Table Standings and Day Highlights
As competition continues, Norway currently leads the medal table with three gold medals. The United States follows with two golds, while host nation Italy has secured one gold, two silvers, and six bronzes for a total of nine medals.
The day's events were not without drama, particularly in the women's downhill where American skier Lindsey Vonn suffered a serious crash that required her to be airlifted off the course. The 41-year-old underwent surgery on a broken leg in Treviso, bringing a difficult end to her Olympic campaign.
Looking Ahead to Day Three
Today's schedule promises more excitement across multiple disciplines:
- Curling mixed doubles semi-finals featuring Great Britain versus Sweden and USA versus Italy
- Alpine skiing combined event with downhill and slalom disciplines
- Freestyle skiing women's slopestyle final with Britain's Kirsty Muir competing
- Speed skating women's 1000m final
- Figure skating rhythm dance qualifiers
- Snowboard big air with Austria's Anna Gasser aiming for her third consecutive gold
- Ski jumping men's normal hill individual competition
The Milano Cortina Games continue to deliver memorable moments, from heartfelt tributes to changing sporting dynamics, proving that the Winter Olympics remain one of sport's most compelling spectacles.
