The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy have been nothing short of thrilling amid a backdrop of political controversy. Many US Olympians have come out well in multiple events thus far. The United States is taking home 14 total medals (four gold, seven silver, and three bronze) so far. Iconic skier Lindsey Vonn had a career-changing accident and US Alpine skier Breezy Johnson got engaged to her boyfriend, Connor Watkins, according to USA Today. And that’s just in the first week of competition.
Data released ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics revealed that US tourists account for 35% of people attending the event, representing the largest share of international visitors as reported by Snow Brains. Many tourists and visitors are using the trip to squeeze in some athletic adventures for themselves, taking to free neighboring mountains for their own exciting ski and snowboarding runs. That has proved to be a relatively dangerous endeavor all around, however, and an unnecessary strain on Italian authorities.
Sadly, the Associated Press reported that so far 13 victims comprised of backcountry skiers, climbers, and hikers have died within the last week, noting 10 avalanches were triggered during that time because of “an exceptionally unstable snowpack.” That is exactly why the rescue of two American skiers is such an unbelievable blessing.
Two young male skiers got lost in the mountains near Livigno as it was getting dark, People reported. A statement from Vigili del Fuoco, Italy’s national fire and rescue service, said the men gave authorities their GPS coordinates, which allowed rescuers to use drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to locate them.
“Under such conditions, the passage of a single skier, or natural overloading from the weight of snow, can be sufficient to trigger an avalanche,” warned Federico Catania, Italy’s Alpine Rescue Corps spokesperson. “There is no danger for people skiing within managed ski resorts, and in particular no risks to the Olympic sites.”
The two American skiers are said to be in good health and were not injured during their ordeal. Luckily, their quick thinking and the work of the rescue team prevented any disasters.
I think I’ll stick with shoveling popcorn into my face and pretending from the comfort of my couch that I, too, could ski down a large mountain.
