Snowboarding Legend Benjamin Karl Storms Into Milano-Cortina 2026 Final, Eyes Historic Gold

Austrian snowboard legend Benjamin Karl, the defending Olympic champion in the men’s Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS), sent an early warning shot to his rivals by topping qualification at Livigno Snow Park on the opening day of snowboard-alpine action at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Karl, 40, carved through the Lombardy course with trademark precision, clocking a combined time of 1:29.47—0.18 seconds quicker than Italy’s hometown hope Maurizio Bormolini and 0.22 ahead of emerging Korean star Kim Sang-gyeom, who stunned the field with a blistering second run. The result positions the four-time world champion as the top seed for Monday’s elimination heats, where the fastest 16 riders go head-to-head in a best-of-three format. “I still feel like a kid every time I drop in,” Karl told Austrian TV after the run. “The board is fast, the boards are ready, and my mind is clear. That’s dangerous—for everyone else.” The veteran openly targeted back-to-back Olympic golds immediately after winning in Beijing four years ago, and a dominant 2024 World Cup season—where he swept the overall and PGS globes—suggests he is peaking at the perfect moment. Key storyline to watch • Home-snow pressure: Italy has not claimed an alpine-snowboard men’s title since Roland Fischnaller’s world crown in 2021. Bormolini and veteran Aaron March will have the crowd behind them, but Karl’s early statement has quieted the grandstands—for now. • Weather window: A mild spell is forecast for Tuesday’s medal round, potentially softening the south-facing red course. Karl’s extensive wax testing in similar spring conditions on Austria’s glaciers could be decisive. • Generational clash: Kim Sang-gyeom, 29, is bidding to become Korea’s first Olympic snowboard-alpine medalist after pushing Karl to the limit on the World Cup podium in Bansko last month. Road to history Karl already owns four Olympic medals and could join Tony Estanguet (canoe) and Ole Einar Bjørndalen (biathlon) as the only male winter athletes to win gold 12 or more years apart; his first came at Sochi 2014. Another victory would also make him the oldest snowboarder ever to clinch Olympic gold, surpassing Russia’s Vic Wild, who was 38 in 2022. The men’s PGS finals fire out of the start gate at 13:00 CET on Tuesday. With Karl looking this sharp, the chase for snowboard-alpine’s ultimate prize already feels like it runs through Austria’s ageless master of the edge.