Haemmerle Outleans Grondin by 0.03 Seconds to Defend Olympic Snowboardcross Title
MILANO CORTINA — On Thursday, Feb. 13, 2026 (ET), Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria edged Canada's Eliot Grondin by 0. 03 seconds in a dramatic men's snowboardcross final to successfully defend the Olympic crown he won four years earlier.
Tense final finishes a déjà vu of Beijing
The final unfolded as a classic four-rider sprint over a course of banks and rolling bumps. Grondin surged late and briefly looked poised to reverse the outcome from Beijing 2022, but Haemmerle closed the gap in the final meters and thrust his board across the line first. The margin mirrored the razor-thin nature of their rivalry: Haemmerle's 2022 winning gap was 0. 02 seconds; Thursday's result extended that rivalry with a 0. 03-second separation.
Podium and close calls
Fellow Austrian Jakob Dusek claimed bronze, denying France's Aidan Chollet a spot on the podium after a frantic dash to the line left all four riders with a shot at victory. The result left the medal ceremony reflecting how small differences in line choice and timing can reshape Olympic history in snowboardcross.
Grondin reflects on back-to-back silvers
Grondin, now a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the individual event, acknowledged the narrow margins and the emotional roller coaster of finishing second twice. "Not many people can do back-to-back podiums in the Olympics, " he said. "I nearly won just twice in a row. I just got silver twice. It shows we've been on top of the sport for a little while now. " He added that he had hoped to play a more conservative strategy early in the race and pounce later, but found himself carrying too much speed behind the leaders to execute that plan.
Veteran presence and season context
American veteran Nick Baumgartner, 44 and a mixed-team champion in 2022, advanced to the semifinals before being eliminated, a reminder of the depth and longevity some riders bring to the discipline. The season entering the Games had been competitive: Grondin won the 2024-25 Crystal Globe and the 2025 world championship, where Haemmerle took bronze, underscoring how their rivalry carried momentum into the Olympic final.
National tallies and what it means next
The silver marked one of several medals for Canada at these Games, contributing to the country's growing haul across snow and freestyle disciplines. For Austria, Haemmerle's repeat gold cements the nation's strength in board events and continues a run of top-level performances. Beyond the medals, the finish will likely intensify focus on equipment setup and split-second race tactics as teams regroup for the rest of the Olympic program and the upcoming World Cup season.
Note for indexing: jakara anthony
