The world’s top Alpine speed skiers competed in the second official downhill training on Thursday in Bormio, a mere 48 hours before the 2026 Winter Olympic downhill event.

The Italians “swept the podium,” with Mattia Casse (1:52.85), Florian Schieder (+0.45) and Giovanni Franzoni (+0.87) posting the three fastest times. It was apparent the racers are prepped and primed to show out on home snow when there’s hardware up for grabs on Saturday.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA), who clocked in quicker than anyone during the first training session, finished 28th (+3.19).

The piste (mountain) conditions were far different from the first training. On Wednesday it was foggy and mild in temperature, producing softer snow and slower runs. Thursday brought clear blue skies and frigid, windless air, making the course icier and faster. 

With the compact, slicker snow, athletes topped out around 147 kilometers per hour, which is over 91 miles per hour, compared to about 135 kilometers per hour, or 84 miles per hour, a day prior.

It took the racers, especially those who started earlier, time to adjust. Several missed gates or flailed as they went air-born off of the San Pietro jump close to the finish line. Others rattled around on Bormio's infamous uneven surface as if they were driving a car over those grooved patterns you see on the sides of a road. 

The downhill medal event, which occurs Saturday, Feb. 7 for the men, has a very similar forecast to Thursday, thus is a solid indicator for what we'll see (and what the competitors will experience) on the biggest stage. That said, weather on race days is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. Having a mix of course conditions in the lead up to the real deal may pay its sweet dividends.

Countries employed their own clear strategies for attacking the second training, with the Italians electing to go pedal to the metal; letting it rip and demonstrating that they're hungry for some home cooking. 

Marco Odermatt (23rd) and Franjo Von Allmen (26th) of Switzerland, by contrast, dialed it up in the early sectors and then slowed into a casual cruise control the rest of the way — perhaps because they have the course figured out or want to keep strategy close to the vest.

The final training times have zero medal repercussions and do not impact Saturday’s race order — for 42 out of 44 of Thursday’s competitors, at least.

Stefan Rogentin (SUI) and Niels Hintermann (SUI) engaged in a “ski off” to determine who would fill the last open Olympic downhill race slot for a loaded Swiss squad. Only four athletes per nation can compete in any given Olympic Alpine event.

Hintermann finished with a quicker time, meaning that he will likely get the nod from Swiss-Ski (the country’s governing body) to start on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Hintermann was diagnosed with lymph node cancer in 2024, forcing him to miss the entire 2024-25 World Cup season and receive chemotherapy treatment. In February of 2025, he revealed that he was cancer-free and returned to the race circuit in December.

Daniel Hemetsberger (AUT) took a heavy spill as he attempted to turn on one of the tight Stelvio corners. He lost his footing, spun around, hit hard into a control gate (which may have actually helped slow him down) and crashed into the course netting. It was a scary sight, especially since his helmet flew off in the process. 

Almost immediately, Hemetsberger threw his hands in the air to signify that he was okay and got back on his feet. He skied down the rest of the hill with a bloody nose, which (fortunately) appeared to be the extent of his injuries.

The third and final men's downhill training is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6, at 5:30 a.m. ET and will stream live on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.

The Olympic downhill contest is set for Saturday, Feb. 7, at 5:30 a.m. ET, also streaming live on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.