Emanuel Rieder, Simon Kainzwaldner, Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer with their gold medals. © APA/afp / TIZIANA FABI

The luge kings: As golden as Zöggeler was recently

It was absolutely incredible! Andrea Vötter, Marion Oberhofer, Emanuel Rieder, and Simon Kainzwaldner broke South Tyrol's Olympic gold drought – and inscribed their names on a prestigious roll of honor. Here's an overview of all the local Winter Olympic champions.

February 11, 2026

By: Alexander Foppa

With their fantastic performance in Cortina, first Vötter and Oberhofer, Dann Rieder and Kainzwaldner The Italian sporting world is stunned, and South Tyrol in particular has witnessed some historic moments. While Italy's northernmost province traditionally provides a significant portion of the Italian Olympic team, it had to wait almost two decades for a gold medal.

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The last Olympic champion from South Tyrol was Alex Schwazer in Beijing in 2008, while the last Winter Games triumph was won by Armin Zöggeler – almost exactly 20 years ago (on February 12, 2006) in the men's luge singles event. The discipline isn't the only parallel to the current Olympic triumphs; the location is also a point of connection. Zöggeler – just like the four lugers this Wednesday – won the most coveted medal in Italy. Incidentally, the legend from Völlan is now the head coach of the new gold-medal-winning duos.

Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer with their coach and two-time Olympic champion Armin Zöggeler © Felice Calabro'

Incidentally, this was not the first time that South Tyrol had celebrated two gold medals in one day: Back in 1972 in Sapporo, lugers Paul Hildgartner/Walter Plaickner and ski icon Gustav Thöni beamed from the top step of the podium almost simultaneously.

These are South Tyrol's 20th and 21st Olympic triumphs in history, and their 12th and 13th at the Winter Games. The first victory came in 1968 in Grenoble, courtesy of Erika Lechner – in luge, of course.

All South Tyrolean Winter Olympic champions: