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Historic final: German misses medal
Updated on February 19, 2026 – 3:34 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
For the first time, ski mountaineering is part of the Olympic program: Tatjana Paller makes it straight to the final. But there another prevails.
Tatjana Paller took fourth place in the sprint at the Olympic premiere for ski mountaineers. The 30-year-old reached the final, but the historic first gold medal was won by Marianne Fatton from Switzerland. Silver went to Emily Harrop from France, while Ana Alonso Rodriguez from Spain came third. Despite catching up on the descent, Paller was just over three seconds short of bronze.
The innovation in the Olympic competition program was well received. The atmosphere in the stands and on the slopes was exuberant and noticeably better than at a World Cup, said a spokesman for the German team. Encouraged by the atmosphere, Paller reached the semi-finals as second in her preliminary heat, where she also made a good impression in a close fight and again progressed directly.
Ski mountaineering has its origins in ski touring. The athletes run up a slope with their skis. To prevent slipping backwards, skins are attached to the bottom of the skis’ sliding surfaces. The athletes also have to climb stairs for a short distance; The skis are removed on this section of the route. Once at the top, the skins are removed from the skis and a short descent continues.
Helena Euringer in fifth place and Finn Hösch in fourth place failed early in their heats. “The joy prevails, it’s an unforgettable day,” said Hösch, who was almost four seconds away from advancing straight away. “I know how to classify the result in terms of sport. I know that it wasn’t because of the mileage, but rather that it was a wrong tactical decision with the choice of skin.”