"Today could be my day" – Oriol Cardona Coll on Olympic gold

At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Oriol Cardona Coll wrote a piece of sports history. The Spaniard won the first Olympic gold in ski mountaineering sprint and also took bronze in the mixed relay. In the interview, the DYNAFIT athlete talks about the moment of victory, the pressure before the race, and what success means to him and his sport.

The moment of victory

When did you first feel during the race: Today could be my day?

On race day, I felt really good physically. In the days before, I might have been a bit more tense. Everything was new and bigger than usual. But on the day of the competition, I was calm. I knew: If the body works, the mind will follow. And that’s exactly how it felt. As if it could be my day.

If you could freeze the last seconds of the final: What image or feeling sticks with you the most?

That was a one-of-a-kind moment. One curve before the finish line, I looked back for a second and saw that I had the win in the bag. It’s hard to describe this feeling. I was super happy and at the same time really relieved. It was the feeling that all the hard work and all those years of training paid off.

When did you really realize: I’m an Olympic champion?

Right at the finish line, I was just blown away by the situation. It took me a while to really get what had happened. It was only a few hours later that I started to realize that I had become the first Olympic champion in ski mountaineering.

The key to winning the race

The conditions in the race were tough. A lot of athletes had issues with the stairs or with their grip skins. What do you think was key to winning?

Luckily, I didn’t have any problems with the skins or the stairs. Besides being in shape, it was mainly important not to mess up. It was less about making the fastest transitions ever, and more about doing them cleanly and safely.

Especially under Olympic pressure, that’s probably not easy.

Exactly. In an Olympic final, you feel a huge amount of pressure – both from outside expectations and your own standards. Your body is full of adrenaline, you push yourself to the limit and beyond. Staying calm in a moment like that and executing every move perfectly is a real challenge.

Was there a moment during the competition when you thought: Today something could go wrong?

No, not really. I didn’t have any doubts about my form or performance on race day. The only moment that worried me a bit was the tough snow conditions and all the snow on the track. But the organization reacted super fast and cleared the course in record time.

The first Olympic champion in Skimo history

You’re not just an Olympic champion, but also the first in the history of Skimo. At the same time, you brought Spain an Olympic gold after over 50 years. What does that mean to you?

I’m mainly doing this for myself. My goal is always to get the best out of myself and win every race. But of course, the chance to be the first Olympic champion in the history of our sport motivated me even more. I knew that I might never get a chance like this again. That’s why it was super important for me to show my best race in the sprint that day.

With the Olympics, your sport suddenly got way more attention. How do you deal with that?

A lot has really changed since the games. Both in sports and in my personal everyday life. The days after were super intense and packed with appointments. I’m really happy about the interest in our sport and my results, even though it can be pretty exhausting sometimes.

What has changed the most for you personally?

Honestly, I’ve barely slept during this time. (laughs)

What’s next?

You’re a world champion, now an Olympic champion, and you’ve basically won every big title. Does that change your motivation?

I don’t think so. On the contrary: I’ve probably never been at such a high level in sports as I am now. Getting ready for the Olympics has really helped me grow as an athlete. That’s why I’m super eager to keep improving.

What are your next plans?

After this intense time, I just want to take a breather for a bit. In the summer, I’d love to do some trail running races again. But basically, I’m really motivated to keep going. 

It’s still not decided if ski mountaineering will be in the Olympic program for the next games. What do you think about it?

After this experience and seeing how much attention our sport has gotten, I would really love to experience the Olympics again. If it gets confirmed that the sprint is back in the program, that could definitely be a big goal for me again.

“The last missing piece” – Oriol’s road to the Olympics

Want to learn more about Oriol? In our homestory documentary, we follow the exceptional Spanish athlete on his journey to the Olympics – personal, up close, and unfiltered.