02/19/26 07:10:00
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02/19 07:08 CST Ski mountaineering made its Olympic debut on snowy day,
Marianne Fatton of Switzerland wins 1st gold
Ski mountaineering made its Olympic debut on snowy day, Marianne Fatton of
Switzerland wins 1st gold
By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer
BORMIO, Italy (AP) --- The sport of ski mountaineering made its long-awaited
Olympics debut Thursday and crowned its first champion at the Milan Cortina
Games in Marianne Fatton of Switzerland.
With snow falling, Fatton navigated the uphill-then-downhill course lined with
a diamond-shaped pattern and stairs in a lung-searing time of 2 minutes, 59.77
seconds. She edged Emily Harrop of France by 2.38 seconds. Ana Alonso Rodriguez
of Spain took bronze as she competed on a torn ACL.
Ski mountaineering, which is called "skimo" for short, was voted into the
Olympic program in 2021. The falling snow provided a fitting backdrop for a
niche Alpine sport that traces its roots back to the late 19th century.
This particular gold medal carried a lot of weight given the stakes. Fatton
claims the coveted title of "first ever" to earn an Olympic title in their
sport.
It took enduring three rounds that last about three or so minutes each that
stressed their endurance levels.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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