On Thursday, Spain finally snatched two medals at the Winter Olympic Games, including only the second gold medal for Spain (and seventh overall) in the history of the Winter Olympics. It was in a new event introduced for the first time in Milano-Cortina 2026, the ski mountaineering (or skimo), and specifically the sprint: Oriol Cardona Coll won gold and Ana Alonso won bronze.
Ana Alonso's medal is a particular feat as she won the medal only four months after being hit by a car while training on her bike in Sierra Nevada. As a result, her knee was seriously damaged: she suffered a sprain of the anterior cruciate ligament and the medial collateral ligament of the knee, a malleolar fracture, and a dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint.
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However, she recovered without even undergoing surgery. "Despite the journey I've had, I feel very fortunate", she said, recalling her hard work to make it to the Games, while people around her "looked at her like she was crazy".
"I thought I wouldn't even make it to the Games, but here's my first medal. It's been incredibly tough, truly, but I've had so many people who believed in me; like my family, the physiotherapists, my coach, my psychologist, the nutritionist, and the entire Spanish team. It's been amazing, I've felt so much strength", Alonso said (via El País).
Cardona Coll, her partner in the mixed relay event (Saturday, 13:30 CET, 12:30 GMT), said that "Ana has worked very, very hard, she has managed the matter very well because she is very level-headed and has shown that she is special enough to reach the Games". On Saturday, they could fight for another medal, which would mean the third overall for Spain in Milano-Cortina 2026.