BORMIO, Italy - Oriol Cardona Coll has secured Spain's first Winter Olympics gold medal in 54 years, winning the men's sprint in the inaugural ski mountaineering event. Minutes prior, Switzerland's Marianne Fatton became the sport's first Olympic champion, defeating favored Emily Harrop of France.
Cardona Coll delivered a dominant performance in challenging snowy conditions, outpacing Russia's Nikita Filippov for gold. France's Thibault Anselmet secured the bronze.
Spain's previous Winter Olympics gold was won by Francisco Fernandez Ochoa in Alpine skiing at the 1972 Sapporo Games.
Filippov competed as a neutral athlete following the IOC's ban on Russian athletes.
Harrop, a top contender, lost crucial time on the course's stairs, allowing Fatton to claim the historic victory and silver.
While Ana Alonso Rodriguez earned Spain's first medal of the Games with a bronze, Cardona Coll's commanding race elevated Spain's achievement with a gold.