Germany's 28-year wait is over: Emma Aicher wins downhill silver at Winter Olympics 2026

Germany waited 28 years for the country's first Olympic medal in alpine skiing downhill event, and it finally arrived through Emma Aicher, who claimed silver in the women's event on Saturday (8 February) at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. 

The four-time World Cup circuit winner, who switched from the slalom to the downhill, finished a close second behind the USA's Breezy Johnson (1:36.10) in 1:36.14, with Italy's Sofia Goggia (1:36.69) completing the high-quality podium.

"I wouldn't have thought that I could actually come from slalom skiing and have only been skiing downhill for a few years, and only really well for the last year, to win a medal here. But of course I'm happy that it worked out now," she said at the post-race press conference.

Her silver is historic on multiple fronts. At 22, Aicher is the youngest Olympic downhill medalist since Italy’s Isobel Kostner in 1994 and the first German woman to reach the downhill podium since the legendary Katja Seizinger's gold in Nagano 1998.

The medal also marks her first individual Olympic medal, adding to an already impressive list of World Cup wins.

From slalom star to downhill powerhouse

Aicher’s technical transformation is particularly noteworthy. Early in her career, she focused on slalom and giant slalom, where she helped Germany win team silver at Beijing 2022.

But in Cortina, she showed a new level of speed and composure on the demanding Tofane course, narrowly missing gold by only 0.04 seconds.