Franjo von Allmen, the Swiss skier, made history at the Winter Olympics, not just by winning the first gold medal but also by fulfilling a promise made to his village butcher. When von Allmen first made waves in the junior ranks, his local butcher crafted a special sausage, the Silberblitz-Wurscht or Silver Lightning, in his honor. After his breathtaking performance in the men's downhill on Saturday, it's clear that an upgrade is in order for this special sausage.
On a picture-perfect day in Bornio, the 24-year-old skier dominated a challenging course, crossing the finish line in 1:51.61 seconds, securing the first medal of these Olympic Games. His time was just enough to edge out Italy's Giovanni Franzoni, who took the silver medal 0.20 seconds behind. Another Italian, Dominik Paris, who is the vocalist of a heavy metal band called Rise of Voltage, claimed the bronze.
Von Allmen, who became the youngest downhill world champion in 36 years last year, has achieved this success the hard way. At 17, his father passed away, and he had to crowdsource funds to continue skiing. He joined the Swiss squad a year later. Unlike other racers who attend ski academies, he had to work, often on construction sites, in the summer. This experience not only supported his finances but also built his physique and character. "I had to go the extra mile and that shaped me," he said.
Franzoni, who took the silver medal, praised von Allmen, "To share the podium with Franjo after the junior world championships, he’s such a great guy."
The Italian was overjoyed with his performance, "It’s such an amazing feeling. This morning I was pretty calm, but at the start I was becoming so nervous. The Italian people gave me a great message, with passion, with love. It gave me great energy to produce a great run."
Paris, stunned after winning an Olympic Games medal at the fifth attempt, said, "I don’t have feelings at the moment. Maybe when the prize ceremony starts that will change and I will understand what’s happened to me."
The pre-Games favorite, Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, could only finish fourth, 0.70 seconds behind his gold-winning compatriot. "A disappointing race for me, but the feeling was actually good," he said. "I skied like I wanted, but it was not fast enough."
But this day was about Von Allmen. According to his teammates, he is a likable guy who snores louder than anyone. But on Saturday, he made his biggest noise on the slopes.
