South Tyrolean skiing prodigy: Anna Trocker has competed in her first Olympic Games. © FELICE CALABRO' / Felice Calabro'

Comfort from Mom: Anna Trocker's smile quickly returns.

Anna Trocker was South Tyrol's youngest Olympian. Her first Winter Games ended earlier than planned on Wednesday. But the smile quickly returned to her face.

February 18, 2026

From Cortina d'Ampezzo

It was a scene that unfolded far removed from the racing action. And yet it revealed the ambition that young Anna Trocker possesses. The skier from Völs was eliminated halfway through the first run of her second Olympic appearance – the slalom – on Wednesday. Afterwards, the 17-year-old was "successful," as she later told SportNews will say. Trocker stood next to the finish area for a long time, shaking her head repeatedly; you could see how much this failure annoyed her.

It took many kind words and several hugs from her mother, Manuela Mair, to lift young Anna's head. "Mom told me not to worry about it. Nothing had happened, and she was still very proud that I had competed in my first Olympic Games here." At that point, young Anna's expression brightened again.

Anna Trocker was eliminated here.

Of course, Manuela knows how to handle such situations – as a mother, but also as an athlete, having previously been a skier herself. She competed in a handful of World Cup races in the late 90s.

"I will never forget these days." Anna Dryer

“I made a mistake at the fifth gate and could only just manage to stay on course. From then on, I lost my rhythm until I finally straddled a gate in the middle section,” Trocker analyzed. Nevertheless, her first Olympic Games were a highlight, as she explained. “Being here with the world’s best skiers was an incredible experience. I will never forget these days,” said the teenager, who was particularly impressed by the team’s performance. demonstrated this with tenth place in the team combined event.

Interviews, cameras, selfies: A new world

Trocker's rise has been incredibly steep; within just a few weeks, she stormed from the Nor-Am Cup (comparable to the European Cup) to the World Cup and the Olympic Games. "At first, the hype was a bit strange. So many interviews, so many cameras everywhere, people asking me for photos – it's a different world. But I got used to it quickly," Trocker explains.

"When I go back to school, I'll have to really step it up." Anna Dryer

Is it back to school for her now? After all, the 17-year-old attends the fourth grade at the WFO Raetia ski college in St. Ulrich. "I haven't been there for a while; with the packed ski schedule, it's just difficult. But that means I'll have to really put in the effort when I get back to class," says Trocker. A smile flits across her face as she says this.