Anna-Lena Forster Secures Second Gold at Milan Cortina Paralympic Winter Games

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – Anna-Lena Forster continued her dominant run at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, adding a gold medal in the Women’s Giant Slalom (sitting class) to her collection on Tuesday. The victory, secured at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, comes five days after her gold in the downhill, solidifying her position as a leading force in para-alpine skiing. Forster finished the two runs with a combined time of 2:30.64, besting Japan’s Momoka Muraoka by 1.28 seconds and China’s Liu Sitong by 4.15 seconds.

This marks Forster’s sixth Paralympic gold medal overall and her first in the Giant Slalom event. The German flagbearer had already claimed gold in the downhill and a silver medal in the Super-Combined at these Games, though she did not finish the Super-G competition.

“I knew I had to go all out”

“I’m super happy,” Forster said, according to reports. “I was able to execute what I had planned. I’m so glad and proud that it worked out.” She held the lead after the first run, setting the stage for a thrilling final descent. “I knew I had to go all out. I saw Momoka ahead of me. I had no choice but to give it everything I had,” she told ARD, a German broadcaster.

The path to gold wasn’t without its challenges. The start of the second run was delayed by ten minutes due to course preparation on the damaged slope. Adding to the pressure, Forster was the last of 47 competitors across the three start classes to compete. Although, she navigated the course flawlessly, extending her lead in the initial section and maintaining control through the flatter lower portion of the run.

Forster has the opportunity to add a third gold medal to her tally on Sunday, when the Women’s Slalom competition takes place – a discipline in which she excels. She joked that she would “pull herself together” at the German House celebration following her Giant Slalom victory.

Rothfuss “Absolutely Satisfied” with Fourth-Place Finish

In the standing class, Andrea Rothfuss achieved a commendable fourth-place finish, mirroring her result in the Super-G. The 36-year-old from Mitteltal was just 69 hundredths of a second away from a bronze medal and her 15th career Paralympic medal. She closed the gap on France’s Aurelie Richard by 78 hundredths of a second in the second run, but ultimately fell short. Rothfuss’s performance is particularly significant given her two-year hiatus from competition due to depression, making it a resounding success.

“I am absolutely satisfied,” Rothfuss said, visibly emotional, in an interview with ARD. “If someone had told me this half a year ago, I would have thought they were crazy. It was a long-held wish for a long time.” She added that sharing the experience with her family was “absolutely grand” and left her “speechless.” The gold medal in the standing class went to Sweden’s Ebba Årsjö, who secured her third gold medal of the Cortina Games. Anna-Maria Rieder finished seventh (+9.64 seconds).

The Women’s Giant Slalom competition at the 2026 Winter Paralympics featured 15 competitors in the visually impaired category, 22 in the standing category, and 16 in the sitting category. The event took place on March 12, 2026, at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre.

In the visually impaired category, Veronika Aigner of Austria, guided by Eric Digruber, took gold with a time of 2:18.63. Chiara Mazzel of Italy, guided by Fabrizio Casal, secured silver (+2.56 seconds), and Elina Stary of Austria, guided by Stefan Winter, claimed bronze (+6.67 seconds). Alexandra Rexová of Slovakia, guided by Matúš Ďuriš, finished fourth.

Ebba Årsjö’s victory in the standing class further cemented Sweden’s success at the Games. Varvara Voronchikhina of Russia took silver, and Aurélie Richard of France earned bronze.

The Paralympic Winter Games continue to showcase the incredible athleticism and determination of athletes from around the globe. Forster’s continued success and Rothfuss’s inspiring return to competition are just two examples of the compelling stories unfolding in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Next up for Anna-Lena Forster is the Women’s Slalom on Sunday, where she will aim to add another gold medal to her impressive Paralympic collection. Fans can follow the action and find official updates on the official Paralympic website: https://www.paralympic.org/.