Franjo von Allmen

Born in Boltigen, Switzerland,^[3][4] von Allmen began skiing at age two, learning at the Jaun Pass.^[5] He completed a four-year apprenticeship in carpentry and spent summers working on construction sites.^[6] Von Allmen's father died when he was seventeen, leaving the family in a strained financial situation and unable to fund his ski career.^[6] A crowdfunding campaign was able to finance his training for another season, when he made the Swiss Olympic team.^[6]

His name isn't Franjo as a Croatian variant of Francis, as some speculated during 2026 Winter Olympics, but combination of Franz and Jozef.^[7]

Von Allmen made his World Cup debut on 4 March 2023, in a downhill at Aspen in the United States.^[8] His first World Cup podium came in January 2024 in a super-G at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; his first victory was a year later in January 2025, also a super-G, this time on home country snow in Wengen.^[9] A few weeks later at the World Championships in Saalbach, Austria, von Allmen won two gold medals — in downhill^[10][11] and team combined with Loïc Meillard.^[12][13]

On 7 February 2026, von Allmen won the first gold medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics,^[14] placing first in men's downhill skiing.^[15] On 9 February 2026, von Allmen and Tanguy Nef won the gold medal in the team combined event.^[16] On 11 February 2026, von Allmen won a third gold medal in super-G.^[17] He is the first Swiss winner of the Olympic super-G, the first alpine skier to win three gold medals at one edition of the Olympic Games since Janica Kostelic at the 2002 Winter Olympics, and the first male skier to win three gold medals at one edition of the games since Jean-Claude Killy at the 1968 Winter Olympics.^[18]

A local butcher in von Allmen's home village of Boltigen named the sausage "Franjo's Wurst", after him.^[6]