The Team Sprint at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games delivered spectacular races and surprising twists for the German-speaking nations.

Both the women’s and men’s teams from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland showed strong performances, with Switzerland and Germany climbing onto the podium.

Women: Switzerland celebrates silver, Germany took bronze

In the qualification rounds, all three nations secured a spot in the final with confident performances. For Switzerland, Nadja Kälin and Nadine Fähndrich qualified in fourth place, while Laura Gimmler and Coletta Rydzek from Germany finished sixth. The Austrian duo Heidi Bucher and Magdalena Scherz finished the qualification in eighth place.

In the women’s final, Switzerland claimed the silver medal with a time of 20:31.39 minutes, finishing just 1.4 seconds behind the dominant Swedish team. The Swiss skiers impressed with smart exchanges and a strong final lap that put them also ahead of Norway and the USA.

Germany also had reason to celebrate: with a time of 20:35.86 minutes, the team took bronze, marking the first Olympic medal for the German cross-country squad at these Games. Coletta Rydzek’s powerful finishing sprint against Julie Drivenes from Norway proved decisive, giving Germany the edge by the narrowest of margins.

For Austria, a solid race secured tenth place in 21:30.95 minutes, a respectable result for the two young skiers, who achieved their goal of finishing in the Top 10 against a strong international field.

Also Read: Sweden storms to women’s Team Sprint gold at Milano-Cortina 2026

Men: Switzerland just missed the podium

The men’s teams from the DACH nations also delivered in qualification, all advancing smoothly to the final. The Swiss duo Janik Riebli and Valerio Grond qualified fourth, Austria’s Michael Föttinger and Benjamin Moser finished seventh, and Germany’s Jakob Moch and Jan Stölben placed tenth.

In the final, Switzerland suffered early misfortune when Janik Riebli broke a pole shortly after the start, dropping to the back of the field. Despite this setback, the Swiss narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth in 18:33.2, just 1 second off the podium. Nonetheless, the performance ranked among their best relay results in recent years during the Olympics.

Austria finished seventh (18:39.3 minutes), showing solid form, while Germany demonstrated commitment but could not match its previous podium successes, finishing ninth (18:43.1 minutes).

Read More: Norway powers to men’s Team Sprint gold at Milano-Cortina 2026

Conclusion

With these overall results, the DACH nations have impressively confirmed their strength in international cross-country skiing. Switzerland’s silver and Germany’s bronze in the women’s race, combined with a Top 4 finish for Switzerland in the men’s event, made it a successful competition day for the German-speaking countries, and a clear sign of strong potential for future races.

Also Read: Program for cross-country skiing at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

FACTS 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games – Cross-Country Skiing

• When: Saturday 7, to Sunday, February 22, 2026
• Who: Elite national skiers – women and men
• Where: Val di Fiemme, Italy
• What: Milano-Cortina 2026

Saturday, February 7: 20km Skiathlon C/F Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 13:00 CET: 20km Skiathlon C/F, Women

Sunday, February 8: 20km Skiathlon C/F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:30 CET: 20km Skiathlon C/F, Men

Tuesday, February 10: Sprint C Women and Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 9:15 CET: Sprint Quali C, Women
• 9:55 CET: Sprint Quali C, Men
• 11:45 CET: Sprint Final C, Women
• 12:15 CET: Sprint Final C, Men

Thursday, February 12: 10km Interval Start F Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 13:00 CET: 10km Interval F, Women

Friday, February 13: 10km Interval Start F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 11:45 CET: 10km Interval F, Men

Saturday, February 14: 4×7.5km Relay C/F Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:00 CET: 4×7.5km Relay C/F, Women

Sunday, February 15: 4×7.5km Relay C/F Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 12:00 CET: 4×7.5km Relay C/F, Men

Wednesday, February 18: Team Sprint Women and Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 9:45 CET: Team Sprint F Quali, Women
• 10:15 CET: Team Sprint F Quali, Men
• 11:45 CET: Team Sprint F, Women
• 12:15 CET: Team Sprint F, Men

Saturday, February 21: 50km Mass Start C Men (More information can be found HERE)

• 11:00 CET: 50km Mass Start C, Men

Sunday, February 22: 50km Mass Start C Women (More information can be found HERE)

• 10:00 CET: 50km Mass Start C, Women

Complete program for the Winter Olympic Games can be found HERE

Val di Fiemme, a classic Nordic skiing venue, promises thrilling racing on courses steeped in Olympic history. Fans around the World will have the chance to cheer on athletes across all distances, from explosive sprints to grueling marathons.

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