Anna Trocker (left) is overjoyed, Nicol Delago shares in her joy. © FELICE CALABRO' / Felice Calabro'

Faster than Shiffrin: Anna Trocker beams at her Olympic debut

Anna Trocker won't forget this day anytime soon. On Tuesday, the 17-year-old technical specialist from Völs made her Olympic debut in Cortina d'Ampezzo – and promptly caused a sensation.

February 10, 2026

From Cortina d'Ampezzo

A thick blanket of clouds lay over the majestic Ampezzo Dolomites on Tuesday afternoon, even swallowing up some of the peaks. The sun made only occasional appearances. But someone shone all the brighter in the atmospheric finish stadium. It was Anna Trocker, the 17-year-old from Völs, who experienced a memorable Olympic debut.

Trocker, who has rapidly surged into the World Cup circuit in recent weeks, competed in the team combined alongside Nicol Delago. The experienced skier from Val Gardena had finished the morning's downhill in 10th place, and in the afternoon it was Trocker's turn in the slalom. The teenager acquitted herself admirably: she skied aggressively from the start, maintained her position with some strong maneuvers, and ultimately finished the race in 10th place.

0,19 seconds faster than Shiffrin

The icing on the cake: Trocker posted the 14th fastest time, finishing 19 hundredths of a second ahead of a certain Mikaela Shiffrin. The American, a 108-time World Cup winner, had a disastrous start to the Olympics, throwing away Breezy Johnson's halfway lead and ultimately finishing fourth. "It's crazy," says Trocker. "My biggest role model has always been Mikaela Shiffrin. Now I'm standing next to her at the start line at the Olympics. I always kept an eye on her during the course inspection."

Anna Trocker in action. © ANSA / ANDREA SOLERO

Unlike the best female skier of our time, Trocker was overjoyed after her successful debut. "It's so cool to be here. I never thought I'd be able to compete in these Winter Games. I was a little nervous at the start; I didn't want to ruin Nicol's good time. Luckily, I managed it in the end," said Trocker, who also confidently answered the many questions from Italian reporters in the mixed zone.

Even Grandma and Grandpa are here

The 17-year-old repeatedly turned towards the stands, where her family waved proudly. "My parents Manuela (Mair, former World Cup skier, editor's note) and Egon are here, as are my older sister Nadine with her boyfriend and my younger sister Julia. Grandma and Grandpa were cheering me on from somewhere beside the track," said the high school student from WFO Raetia in St. Ulrich.

"I'm amazed at how quickly it all happened." Anna Dryer

Trocker has experienced a turbulent time in recent weeks. With strong results in the Nor-Am Cup – the American equivalent of the European Cup – she attracted attention and, along with 16-year-old Giada D'Antonio from Naples, was called up to the World Cup for the first time shortly before the New Year. Two weeks ago, after the World Cup in Spindleruv Mlyn, Trocker learned that she had qualified for the Olympics. In addition to the team combined event, she will also compete in the slalom on Wednesday. "I'm really amazed at how quickly it all happened," said Trocker.

Praise from Nicol Delago

As the teenager crossed the finish line, she was immediately embraced by teammate Nicol Delago. The Val Gardena native was thrilled with Trocker. "I got to know her over the past few days and I'm so glad I get to race with her. She reminds me a bit of myself when I first joined the team so young." For Nicol, the Olympic Games are now over, and her conclusion was: "The results weren't what I'd hoped for. But the feeling was pretty good."

Trocker and Delago are happy together. © ANSA / ANDREA SOLERO

Nicol's younger sister Nadia prevailed against Elena Curtoni in Monday's internal qualification, thus completing her first and only Olympic race. She finished her run in 20th place. "Actually, I expected more. It was nice to ski, the visibility was good, but I was a bit too passive. That's a shame," said the skier from Val Gardena, who is not listed in the final ranking because her teammate Giada D'Antonio was eliminated in the slalom.