The French did not reach any podium at the Milan-Cortina Games on Monday, remaining stuck at 15 medals. In alpine skiing, Clément Noël abandoned his Olympic crown to the Swiss Loïc Meillard. In freestyle skiing, Chinese superstar Eileen Gu had to settle for silver after a very tough competition won by Canadian Megan Oldham. The Japanese Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara were crowned in the figure skating pairs event.

Published on: 02/16/2026 - 11:45 Modified on: 02/17/2026 - 07:53

Olympic champion four years ago, Clément Noël missed his appointment with the Milan-Cortina Games, where he came out of the slalom, leaving the Blues without a single medal this Monday, February 16. On this day without biathlon (eight medals, including two gold since the start of the Games), the French did not reach any podium, remaining stuck at 15 medals, equaling the record established in 2014 and repeated in 2018.

. Alpine skiing: outing for Clément Noël, celebration for Switzerland

Four doors and then it's gone... Four years after the Olympic title won in Beijing, Clément Noël straddled a pole at the start of the second round. Three hours earlier, he had achieved the 7th time in the first round, contested in the snow and marked by a massacre, with more than 50% eliminated including the Brazilian Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, crowned as a giant, and the Blue Paco Rassat.

Clément Noël finally gives up his crown to the Swiss Loïc Meillard, already crowned world champion in the specialty in 2025. The Austrian Fabio Gstrein took silver ahead of the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen in bronze. After 13 days of competition, Switzerland occupies seventh place in the Olympic rankings with 10 medals including 5 gold, while France occupies ninth position (15 medals including 4 gold).

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Best time of the first round, the Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath also rode on the second route, before going to consummate his disappointment at the edge of a neighboring track, spread out in the snow. The only Frenchman classified, Steven Amiez finished in 18th place.

Meillard's victory brings a fourth gold medal to the Swiss men's alpine ski team after those won by Franjo von Allmen (downhill and Super-G), and the combined team (von Allmen - Tanguy Nef).

. Freestyle skiing: Eileen Gu still in silver

Crowned in slopestyle (track littered with obstacles), Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud, injured after a fall in training, was unable to compete in the Big Air final, where competitors perform figures after taking off on a springboard.

In the absence of Gremaud, the way seemed clear for Chinese superstar Eileen Gu. But, as in slopetsyle, the double Olympic champion in Beijing (big air, halfpipe), had to settle for silver after a very tough competition won by the Canadian Megan Oldham.

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Reigning Olympic champion, Gu performed two quality jumps for a total of 179 points, but the judges considered that they were a little less accomplished than those of the Canadian (180.75), bronze last week on the slopestyle.

The Italian Flora Tabanelli, victim of an anterior cruciate ligament injury in her right knee last November, won bronze (178.25).

. Figure skating: the sacred Japanese

After the French Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry in ice dancing, the Japanese Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara were crowned in the figure skating couples event.

Fifth at the end of the short program, the duo performed a free program close to perfection to beat the Georgians Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava.

The Germans Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin who entered the final event in the lead finished on the third step of the podium.

Qualified extremely accurately for the free program, the French couple formed by Camille and Pavel Kovalev ranked in last place (16th).

With AFP

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