Ones to Watch in Snowboard Alpine at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

The world’s best snowboarders waited four years for this moment to arrive. Now it is here, as the athletes from snowboard Alpine head to the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. The snowboard Alpine event will be on February 8 in Livigno Snow Park in the Valtellina cluster at the Winter Olympics. 

Here are the big names to watch in the men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom Olympic race. 

MEN

Maurizio Bormolini (ITA)

Bormolini is the number-one seed going into the Olympic PGS qualification. The defending overall World Cup crystal globe champion sits second in the overall standings this season. He will be a favorite in his home country given his exceptional speed. Bormolini has three World Cup wins this season. 

Roland Fischnaller (ITA) 

The 45-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down. The veteran has already won two races this season. He also placed second in the final race before the Olympics and has all the momentum for a medal on home snow. 

Aaron March (ITA)

March is another standout from the dominant Italian team gunning for home glory. He is the overall parallel standings leader going into the Olympic break. He is having a career year with five podiums. 

Mirko Felicetti (ITA)

The Italian team is extremely deep. Felicetti is yet another name to watch. He started off the season hot and will look to find his groove again in the Italian Alps. 

Benjamin Karl (AUT)

Another ageless wonder. This will be the last Winter Olympics for Karl, who is retiring at the end of the season. He is still on top of his game. The Austrian legend has three podiums this season with a win in Bansko. Karl has one Olympic silver from Vancouver 2010, bronze in Sochi 2014, and won gold in Beijing 2022. 

Fabian Obmann (AUT)

One of the pleasant surprises of the season thus far. Fabian Obmann is a dark-horse candidate to pick up an Olympic medal. He is on a heater with three straight podiums headed into the Olympics. 

Stefan Baumeister (GER)

Baumeister leads the German effort on the men’s side. He podiumed in the second race of the World Cup season. This will be his fourth Olympic Games. A podium would mean his first Olympic medal. 

Radoslav Yankov (BUL)

Yankov is also appearing in his fourth Olympic Games. The Bulgarian has never won Olympic hardware. He will be one of the veterans trying to pick up the ultimate glory in the latter stages of his storied career. 

Sangho Lee (KOR)

Lee had not made a podium all season until winning in Rogla at the end of January. He will hope to ride that momentum into the Olympics. He is the highest-ranked non-European in snowboard Alpine. He also has some solid history at the Games with a silver medal in PyeongChang 2018. 

Tim Mastnak (SLO)

Mastnak is the other snowboarder in the field with Olympic hardware. He took silver in Beijing 2022. He has hit one podium this season, in Scuol. He is hoping for some more good fortune in the Alps in Italy. 

Cody Winters (USA) 

Winters is the best hope for the USA to steal a medal. He made a podium in Bad Gastein this season but that was a PSL race. He is hoping for a similar result in the PGS at the Olympics. Winters will be doing double duty as he also qualified for snowboard cross.

WOMEN

Ester Ledecka (CZE)

Ledecka has spent most of the season on the Alpine ski circuit. However, she dropped back into her first love of snowboard Alpine in Simonhohe and won easily. She will be the favorite at the Olympics despite only racing once this season. She won the previous two Olympic gold medals in PGS (2018 and 2022). She will also compete in Super-G in Alpine skiing at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. 

Tsubaki Miki (JPN)

The defending World Cup champion is one to watch. She is coming off a win in the final race before the Olympics. The Japanese star is consistent as they come and figures to be a lock for the final rounds. 

Sabine Payer (AUT)

Payer was leading the World Cup overall race for much of the season after winning two races. She suffered an ankle injury which caused her to pull out of a few races. She has ridden through the injury at times as well and hopes to be much closer to full strength in Livigno. 

Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) 

The German has won everything in the sport except an Olympic title. She came fifth in Beijing 2022 and settled for bronze in PyeongChang 2018. She missed all of December due to injury but came roaring back in January with two wins and four total podiums. 

Elisa Caffont (ITA)

Caffont represents the best chance for the home nation on the women’s side. She is putting together a career year. She has held the orange bib at times this season. It will be her Olympic debut, but her five podiums this season give her a great chance at a medal. 

Zuzana Maderova (CZE)

The young Czech snowboarder has the talent to beat anyone. It has been a good season thus far with three podiums. She is hoping for another, this time at the highest level, in Livigno. It will be her second Olympics after finishing 23rd in Beijing 2022. 

Michelle Dekker (NED)

Dekker has also proven she can beat anyone. She will not be an easy out if she qualifies for the knockout rounds, as expected. 

Lucia Dalmasso (ITA)

Dalmasso is right behind Caffont as the home nation’s hope for a medal. Dalmasso won two races this season, including a PGS in Mylin. It will be her second Olympics as she looks for a bounce back from a 29th-place finish last go around. 

Aleksandra Krol-Walas (POL)

Krol-Walas is often smiling when she crosses the finish line, but you would be mistaken to overlook her. The Polish snowboarder has three podiums this season and can beat anyone at the top level of the sport. 

Julie Zogg (SUI)

Zogg is chasing her first Olympic medal in her fourth Olympics. Her best finish at this level was sixth in PyeongChang. She has yet to win a race this World Cup season, but came second in Mylin. This will be her final Olympic chance as Zogg will retire at the end of the season. 

The snowboard Alpine action at the 2026 Winter Olympics will take place on February 8. There will be 32 men and 32 women racing in qualification for the finals positions (16 per gender). The parallel giant slalom qualifications begin at 9:00 CET, followed by the finals at 13:00 CET.