Vötter and Oberhofer luge to gold!

Historic success on the Cortina Olympic track: Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer sensationally secured the gold medal in the women's doubles and made Olympic history for South Tyrol.

February 11, 2026

From: do

The cheers of Andrea Vötter and Marion Oberhofer echoed through the finish area of the Olympic track in Cortina. The two South Tyrolean women won the gold medal in the women's doubles on Wednesday evening. With this victory, the woman from Völs and the woman from Rodeneck became the first Olympic champions in this discipline, which made its debut at the Games in Cortina.

But that's not all: This gold medal not only marked the first Olympic victory for a South Tyrolean athlete at the current Games, but also the first Olympic gold medal in 20 years. The last time a South Tyrolean athlete won gold was in 2006 in Turin, in the luge event. Overall, this is already the 20th gold medal for South Tyrol in Olympic history (Summer and Winter Games).

The jubilation of the Olympic champions. © APA/afp / STEFANO RELLANDINI

Fastest time in the first run, fastest time in the second: In the end, Vötter and Oberhofer were 0,120 seconds behind the second-placed German favorites Dajana Eitberger and Magdalena Matschina, and 0,259 seconds behind the bronze medalists Selina Egle and Lara Michaela Kipp from Austria. The podium remained unchanged compared to the first run, even though the chasing team gave it their all once again.

nerves of steel

But the South Tyrolean women remained cool and collected – there's hardly any other way to describe their second run. Leading at the halfway point in their first Olympic appearance, nerves can sometimes get the better of them, but not for the two-time overall World Cup champions. All the more remarkable: Vötter and Oberhofer hadn't won a single race this season. At the finish line, the entire burden finally fell away – the pressure, the tension, the nervousness. Olympic gold: A medal for the history books.