2026 Winter Olympics: Daniela Maier Clinches Women’s Ski Cross Gold
Germany’s Daniela Maier Takes Ski Cross Gold as Switzerland’s Fanny Smith Claims Silver and Sweden’s Sandra Näslund Wins Bronze
German freeskier Daniela Maier won the women’s ski cross title at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on 20 February in Livigno, Italy, leading from the start to secure gold ahead of Switzerland’s Fanny Smith and Sweden’s Sandra Näslund. Maier’s triumph adds a Winter Olympic gold to the bronze she earned in Beijing 2022 and capped a dramatic day of freestyle skiing, according to official Olympic and news reports.
Maier, 29, took an early advantage in the four‑person final and maintained her racing line to hold off Smith, 33, who finished 0.14 seconds behind to claim silver. Näslund, the defending champion from Beijing, recovered from a slower start to take bronze. French skier Marielle Berger Sabbatel finished fourth.
“I’m so grateful for how my team and I battled back to this moment,” Maier said after the race, reflecting on her journey from her 2022 result to Olympic gold.
The final field featured the current top performers in the FIS Ski Cross World Cup standings, underscoring the strength of competition. According to official FIS rankings as of late January, Näslund led with 610 points, followed by Maier (469), Berger Sabbatel (367) and Smith (351).
Maier’s Olympic course run took place on a technically demanding track of banks, rollers and jumps, designed to reward speed and tactical prowess. The tight margins in ski cross highlight how split‑second decisions shape outcomes in head‑to‑head races that begin with qualification rounds and progress through quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
The podium marks a significant moment for Germany in freestyle skiing, delivering its first Olympic freeski gold at these Games and building on Maier’s World Cup victory earlier in the season. She won a World Cup ski cross event in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, in January 2026, signalling strong form going into the Olympics.
Canada, traditionally strong in women’s ski cross, saw its athletes Marielle Thompson, Hannah Schmidt and Brittany Phelan exit in the quarterfinals, leaving the nation without a podium finish in this discipline for the first time in Olympic history.
For full results and the official schedule from Milano Cortina 2026, see the Olympics results page
