Daniela Maier Secures Olympic Gold in Women’s Ski Cross at Milano Cortina 2026

Livigno, Italy – February 20, 2026 – Daniela Maier of Germany claimed the gold medal in the women’s ski cross competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics, held at the Livigno Snow Park in Valtellina. Fanny Smith of Switzerland secured the silver, while defending champion Sandra Näslund of Sweden took home the bronze.

Race Recap

The seeding run saw Daniela Maier qualify in first place with a time of 1:11.12, narrowly beating Sandra Näslund (1:11.33) by 0.21 seconds. Fanny Smith followed in third with a time of 1:12.14. The competition progressed through elimination heats, with Näslund consistently performing well, advancing through the round of 16 and quarter-finals alongside Italian Jole Galli.

The semi-finals pitted Näslund against Fanny Smith, a rematch of their 2018 Olympic final encounter. Both skiers advanced to the final, joining Germany’s Daniela Maier and France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel.

Maier established a strong lead from the start of the final, navigating a crucial curve effectively while Näslund struggled, ultimately falling to third place. Smith secured second, completing the podium.

Näslund’s Journey to Bronze

Despite not defending her gold medal from Beijing 2022, Sandra Näslund expressed satisfaction with her bronze medal. Her path to the podium was marked by a challenging recovery from injuries, including a knee injury that impacted the 2023-2024 season and a tibia fracture in 2024-2025.

“It’s been a tough road to get here,” Näslund stated, acknowledging the emotional significance of having her family present. “I’m a person who shows my feelings. I too think that describes how much this means and what a tough journey it has been.”

Other Notable Performances

Linnea Mobärg of Sweden was impacted during the quarter-final by contact with Marielle Berger Sabbatel, losing speed and finishing third in her heat. Mobärg acknowledged the incident but ultimately accepted the judges’ decision.

Medalists

• Gold: Daniela Maier (Germany)
• Silver: Fanny Smith (Switzerland)
• Bronze: Sandra Näslund (Sweden)

Sandra Näslund – Career Highlights

• Born: July 6, 1996, in Kramfors, Sweden
• Olympic Results: 5th (2014), 4th (2018), Gold (2022), Bronze (2026)
• World Cup Titles: 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023
• World Cup Victories: 46

This victory marks the first Olympic medal for the German team in ski cross at the Livigno Snow Park.