Livigno, Italy, will stage the first snowboard Alpine event of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games on 8 February, when 32 men and 32 women race through knockout parallel giant-slalom heats on Italian snow.
Olympic PGS Set for Livigno Snow Park
The single-day contest runs entirely inside the Valtellina cluster’s Snow Park. Qualifying starts at 09:00 CET; the head-to-head medal bracket fires up at 13:00 CET. Crews have cut two 380-metre lanes with a 22-degree average pitch, leaving riders almost no room to recover from the slightest edge mistake.
Italy’s Men Target Podium Sweep
Maurizio Bormolini carries the World Cup No. 1 bib and three victories this season. Roland Fischnaller, 45, comes off a last-gate second place in Bad Gastein, while Aaron March leads the overall parallel standings with five podiums. Add Mirko Felicetti—winner of the December opener—and half of the 16-racer knockout bracket could wear blue.
Veteran Challengers from Austria and Germany
Benjamin Karl, in his farewell tour, already owns every Olympic shade: silver (2010), bronze (2014) and gold (2022). Fabian Obmann has stacked three straight podiums, giving Austria a two-pronged threat. Germany’s Stefan Baumeister, fourth in Beijing, brings three previous Games and a season-opening podium in Lake Louise.
Ledecka Returns as Two-Sport Favorite
Czech star Ester Ledecka has raced mostly on skis this winter, yet her lone snowboard start—a wire-to-wire win in Simonhöhe—reminded rivals she is unbeaten at the Games since 2018. She will also start the Alpine Super-G later in the fortnight, chasing her third straight dual-sport double.
Injuries Reshape Women’s Medal Picture
Sabine Payer of Austria topped the World Cup until an ankle sprain in December; she returned to on-snow training only last week. Germany’s Ramona Theresia Hofmeister sat out December, then answered with January wins in Austria and Slovenia. Their form will decide whether Italy’s Elisa Caffont or Lucia Dalmasso can turn five-race podium speed into medals under home cheers.
How to Watch and What to Watch For
- Eurovision Sport streams qualifying from 08:45 CET; English commentary begins 15 minutes before the first run.
- The “Milano-Cortina 26” app pushes bracket alerts the instant each knockout heat ends.
- Lane choice matters: the red course has been 0.18 sec faster—expect higher seeds to grab it when the coin lands.
- On-site fans should reach the Carosello 3000 grandstand by 07:30 CET; entry is free but fills fast after 08:00.
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Source: FIS, Milano-Cortina 2026 Organising Committee
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