Dominik Fischnaller celebrates his bronze medal. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

“This makes me emotional”: Fischnaller is overwhelmed

What a dream start for South Tyrol's lugers on the brand-new track in Cortina! In the first Olympic race, Dominik Fischnaller promptly won the bronze medal – thus providing a much-needed relief.

February 09, 2026

From Cortina d'Ampezzo

"The Olympic Games exude an unparalleled magic"—virtually every athlete who has ever competed under the mighty five rings has uttered this phrase. For some, it might sound trite or clichéd. But the truth behind it is simply fascinating. Yesterday, shortly before 19 p.m., this magic was once again palpable in all its glory at the Eugenio Monti track.

Dominik Fischnaller sits on his sled at the start of the newly built luge track, which shines like a bright star in the night sky under the floodlights. The star athlete from Meransen takes another deep breath. He knows: This is the decisive run, perhaps the most important of his career. After three of four runs, "Domi" is in third place and thus clearly on course for a medal. If he delivers a good performance in this heat, a medal is guaranteed. Then a dream will come true: Olympic gold on his home track – it doesn't get much better than that.

The podium, from left: Müller, Langenhan and Fischnaller. © ANSA / DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

Fischnaller closes his eyes once more. His grip on the starting levers is firm and determined. And finally, he catapults himself with great power into the ice channel. With three, four, five paddle strokes, the 32-year-old picks up speed, gets his craft gliding, and finally hurtles down the ice channel at top speed.

Teammates, wife and mother – everyone is ecstatic.

As in runs one, two, and three, Fischnaller delivers a solid, indeed masterful and flawless run. His split times suggest a medal is within reach, and when the Meransen native crosses the finish line, it's clear: at least bronze!

Dominik Fischnaller celebrates exuberantly with his teammates. © ANSA / DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

His teammates – including Leon Felderer (who finished 7th) and Alex Gufler (17th) – as well as his wife Emily, jump into the canal, mob "Domi," and celebrate their hero. In the stands, the Fischnaller fans, led by his mother Monika and brother Hans Peter, can hardly believe their luck.

Second Olympic medal

In the end, as expected, the Meransen native is overtaken by the outstanding German Max Langenhan (who set a course record in every run) and by the Austrian Jonas Müller, but that doesn't matter: Fischnaller has bronze – and thus promptly won a medal in the first Olympic luge race.

"So many people fought for the railway. I dedicate this medal to them." Dominik Filehner

Then the party starts – and a good hour later, Fischnaller is standing in the mixed zone. Around his neck hangs the bronze medal, gleaming in the floodlights, his eyes sparkling. This is his second Olympic bronze, having already won bronze four years ago in Beijing. "I'm just so happy to be standing here with the medal, to have successfully completed it. So much pressure has been lifted off my shoulders," said the model athlete.

A sleepless night

“It was a rough night for me; I could hardly sleep and woke up at least 20 times. I was nervous all day – completely different from four years ago. Back then, I slept so peacefully, as if nothing were wrong.” The nervousness had a reason: the Olympic Games in their own country, plus the brand-new, specially built luge track – the desire for a medal was immense everywhere. “We got such a beautiful new track; so many people fought for it. That’s why it was incredibly important that we now have a medal.”

There it is: Fischnaller celebrates his bronze medal. © ANSA / DANIEL DAL ZENNARO

Being in the right place at the right time: that also applies to Fischnaller. In recent months, South Tyrol's bronze medalist struggled with a persistent elbow injury that made competing extremely difficult. This is one reason why Fischnaller's World Cup season hasn't been entirely smooth sailing so far. "The injury and tinkering with my equipment meant that things weren't always perfect. But my goal from the beginning was the Olympics. And now I've made it there," said Fischnaller, who added: "I would like to dedicate this medal to all those who fought so hard to get us this track."

Olympic champion as a lucky charm

Emotional scenes unfolded at the medal ceremony. "Hey, hey, super Domi, super Domi, hey, hey," sang Fischnaller's fan club as the South Tyrolean received his medal. "Two buses and more than 100 people came here to cheer me on," the Olympic hero exclaimed enthusiastically.

Erika Lechner, Olympic champion of 1968, watched the competition with great excitement at the impressive age of 78. © det

Among the fans was his fellow Meransen native, Erika Lechner, who won the luge gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Grenoble and is a South Tyrolean pioneer in the sport. "I've followed Dominik since he was a little boy. I'm deeply moved," said the 78-year-old. Fischnaller himself was also touched. "All the people who came here for me, it's simply fantastic. When I saw my brother and my two nieces crying with joy, I got emotional myself." Yes, the Olympic Games truly possess their own special magic.