Marco Odermatt entered the 2026 Winter Olympics widely considered the favorite to win three gold medals in Alpine skiing. He leaves the Games without one.

The Swiss skier won't leave empty-handed, though. Although he may not have won gold, Odermatt did earn three medals: two silvers in giant slalom and the team combined, and bronze in super-G. He narrowly missed a fourth medal when he finished 4th in downhill.

In his final opportunity to win gold on Saturday, Odermatt lost to Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who became the first athlete to earn a medal for South America in giant slalom.

"When you're skiing on the limit and you're fighting against names like Marco Odermatt, who is such an incredible skier, who I respect so much, on a stage like the Olympic Winter Games, you know there is no margin for safety." Braathen said after his win. "You have to absolutely get after it. You need to ski with your heart. You need to let go and you need to ski as the champion that you are."

Despite being the favorite in three different disciplines, 28-year-old Odermatt has not lost perspective on winning three medals.

“If you're not satisfied with three medals, then you have a problem,” Odermatt told Reuters. “Of course it would have been nice to have a gold medal, but I have one at home, and that's why this is now a nice collection.”

That perspective reflects the strength of the support system Odermatt has at home. He credits his parents for the sacrifices they made and the role they played in shaping his mentality.

Odermatt previously won giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Games, so he still carries the distinction of being an Olympic gold medalist despite not winning one at these Games.

Was this a phenomenal Games for Odermatt? Not necessarily. Was it a failure? Absolutely not — especially in a sport with margins as fine as Alpine skiing, where a fraction of a second can be the difference between gold and missing the podium.

“I was here in every race, I could show my performance," Odermatt said. "Not always 100 percent but always on 99 percent and that's an amazing achievement.”

Odermatt is currently 28 and entered these Games in great form with four straight overall titles on the World Cup circuit. In 2030, when the French Alps host the Olympics, he will be 32. While that may be on the older side for his sport, it remains a distinct possibility he could return and continue competing at a high level.

As for the immediate future?

“Today, for sure celebrating," he said of his plans. "[It's been] a long week, a long two weeks, without really celebrating and always looking for the next challenge. Now, it's over and I will enjoy it.”