‘Family spirit’ guiding Gąsienica-Daniel in Cortina Olympic Games

Maryna Gąsienica-Daniel (POL/Atomic) is skiing for more than just Poland at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. She is representing an entire family legacy, as the fourth member of her immediate family to compete on the biggest sporting stage of all in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Seven decades ago Maria Gąsienica Daniel-Szatkowska – Maryna’s great aunt – raced for Poland in three alpine events at Cortina 1956. While just over the hill from the Olympia delle Tofane, Helena Gąsienica Daniel, another great aunt, was competing in cross-country skiing, as Andrzej Gąsienica Daniel – a great uncle – was soaring high as a 1956 Olympic ski jumper.

“This feeling about two Olympics being in the same place and with my family having raced there, it will be very special,” said the 31-year-old Gąsienica-Daniel. “I think about this occasionally and for sure will feel their spirit in Cortina.

Maryna, a three-time Olympian, is one of six family members, in total, that are proud Olympians. Józef Gąsienica-Daniel joined the group of three in 1968, competing in Nordic Combined at the Grenoble Games, while Maryna’s older sister, Agnieszka, represented the country and the family, racing in all five Alpine skiing events at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

It is a truly astounding winter sports and Olympic family legacy, with the Gąsienica’s roots in the Polish resort of Zakopane, nestled at the base of the Tatra Mountains.

Motivated by Aunt Maria

Maryna was particulary close with and especially fond of her grandaunt Maria. She was a six-time Polish national champion and two-time Olympian, who not only skied in Cortina, but also Innsbruck 1964.

“When I was a kid, she lived next door to my family’s house, so she was always there when I was little and we knew each other very well,” Maryna said. “She was a real auntie to us, we talked a lot, and for sure she was always supporting me. I remember in Sochi (2014), my first Olympics, that she was cheering me on from home in Zakopane.

“I brought home a little gift for her from Sochi because I knew that she was really cheering hard for me, especially because she was a little nervous that I was a ski racer like her.”

Maria died in January 2016, fortunately having been able to cherish witnessing Maryna strengthen the family’s legacy as their sixth Olympian, spread across three generations.

Building Zakopane’s Olympic legacy

Gąsienica-Daniel’s Olympic journey continued at the PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022 Games, with friends and family undoubtedly proud of Maryna carrying the family’s Olympic torch onward as Cortina’s second Winter Games rapidly approaches.

Gąsienica-Daniel, whose best Olympic result to date is eighth in giant slalom four years ago, added:

 “I will be super happy for all of their support – it has been a long time since we’ve had an Olympics in Europe, but now we have this opportunity, so it will be amazing with all of this support from home in Zakopane.”

In yet another unexpected twist for Gąsienica-Daniel, the experienced Polish racer recently found someone else with close ties to Cortina and her family’s decades of sporting history.

“I met another lady who was also a skier and raced in Cortina 1956 – her name is Barbara Grocholska and she was a coach of my mother when she was young,” said Gąsienica-Daniel, surprised by the encounter with the 25-time Polish national champion. “We will now stay in contact  – she totally knows everything and I believe she is 98-years-old.

“She showed me her racing bib, which was super nice and gave me warm feelings for my Olympics.”

Bringing recent success to Cortina

Gąsienica-Daniel has demonstrated speed and consistency in GS this season. She strung together three consecutive Audi FIS World Cup top-10 finishes – with two career-best fifth place results (in Kronplatz and Semmering). Enough to place her 10^th in the GS season standings.

An 18th place in Thursday's Super G was a solid start for the Pole in Cortina, with the GS - comfortably her best discipline - to come on Sunday.

“We were able to solve some of my set-up issues from last year, so for sure this has helped me a lot,” said Gąsienica-Daniel, who skis for Atomic. “I also feel really comfortable with my team, so this has been important for me mentally and given lots of confidence. I just want to have fun and not think about anything else but pushing out of the start gate and all the way down to the finish line”

Gąsienica-Daniel clearly knows what will satisfy her with her performance and ultimately results in Cortina, racing with the unwavering support from her family, both present and at home in Zakopane. She’ll also feel the heavenly spirit from those who created something special before her.

“I will be happy knowing that I gave my best,” Maryna said. “For sure, I’m a dreamer and dream about medals. But if not, having given everything and whatever those results may be, I’ll be happy with my performance.”

Whether Maryna achieves that dream or finishes out of the medals, she will burnish an incredible family legacy competing in Cortina, seven decades after her grandaunts and granduncle embraced Italy’s Olympic Games before her.