Daniela Maier secured the gold medal in the women’s ski cross at the 2026 Winter Olympics, finishing ahead of Switzerland’s Fanny Smith and Sweden’s Sandra Naslund in a closely contested final.
The German athlete delivered a controlled performance in the decisive race, holding off late pressure to claim the Olympic title. Smith took silver, while defending champion Naslund finished third.
Naslund, who won gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics, progressed confidently through the early rounds. She topped her opening heat and then won her quarter final, building a clear advantage midway down the course and finishing 0.17 seconds ahead of Italy’s Jole Galli.
On the opposite side of the draw, Maier, who won bronze in 2022, advanced with consistent performances in her first two races. She went on to win the first semi final, finishing ahead of France’s Marielle Berger Sabbatel. Berger Sabbatel edged Switzerland’s Talina Gantenbein in a photo finish to secure her place in the final.
The second semi final saw Naslund challenged by Smith. The pair made contact during an attempted inside overtake by the Swiss racer. Naslund crossed the line first in a photo finish, with Smith also qualifying for the final. Galli narrowly missed out.
The Olympic final featured four leading athletes from the World Cup standings. Maier made a fast start and led into the opening corner, narrowly ahead of Naslund. Midway through the course, contact between Naslund and the back of Maier’s skis on landing caused the Swede to lose momentum, allowing Smith to move into second position.
Berger Sabbatel applied pressure in the closing stages, but Naslund held third place. At the front, Maier maintained her advantage and crossed the line less than a ski length ahead of Smith to secure gold.
The result marked Germany’s sixth gold medal of the Games. Naslund’s bronze contributed Sweden’s 16th medal overall. The small final was won by Gantenbein, who placed fifth overall.
