Oriol Cardona Coll has delivered Spain's first Winter Olympics gold medal in 54 years, winning the men's sprint in the debut ski mountaineering event. The victory marks a significant moment for Spanish winter sports, ending a long medal drought.
Minutes before Cardona Coll's historic win, Switzerland's Marianne Fatton claimed the women's title, becoming the inaugural Olympic champion in the multi-discipline sport. Fatton upset favorite Emily Harrop of France in a thrilling finish.
Cardona Coll navigated a challenging course through a snowstorm, dominating the six-man final to secure the gold ahead of Russia's Nikita Filippov, who competed as a neutral athlete. Thibault Anselmet of France took bronze.
Spain's only previous Winter Olympics gold was won by Francisco Fernandez Ochoa in Alpine skiing at Sapporo in 1972. The nation's only other medal at the current Games prior to Thursday was a bronze in the women's SkiMo event.
In the women's race, Fatton's strategic transitions proved decisive. Despite Harrop's strong performance, she lost crucial time during equipment changes, allowing Fatton to surge ahead and secure the gold medal.