Italian skiers lead men's downhill training at the Olympics as an Austrian crashes

BORMIO, Italy (AP) — Skiers from host Italy still trying to secure starting spots led the second downhill training session at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday and Austria’s Daniel Hemetsberger crashed.

Mattia Casse posted the fastest time but missed a gate midway down. Teammates Florian Schieder and Giovanni Franzoni were second and third, respectively.

Franzoni, the breakout star of the Italian team who recently won the downhill in Kitzbuhel, Austria, already has a starting spot, along with Dominik Paris, who holds the Bormio record with seven World Cup victories. Casse, Schieder and Christof Innerhofer — who was seventh — are vying for the last two spots.

Favorites like Marco Odermatt and Ryan Cochran-Siegle, the American who led the opening session Wednesday, tested only portions of the Stelvio course and otherwise stood up out of their tuck positions.

Hemetsberger lost control midway down, got spun around and crashed through a gate — causing his helmet to pop off. He then hit the safety nets at high speed. He quickly got back up but was holding his face and nose area.

A third and final training session is scheduled for Friday before the downhill race on Saturday awards the first Alpine skiing medal of the Games.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Austria's Daniel Hemetsberger speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's downhill official training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

France's Alban Elezi Cannaferina is airborne as he speeds down the course during the alpine ski, men's downhill second official training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen speeds down the course during the alpine ski, men's downhill second official training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

United States' Ryan Cochran Siegle speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's downhill official training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Italy's Giovanni Franzoni speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's downhill official training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer apologized Thursday to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing Peter Mandelson as the U.K.'s ambassador to Washington despite his ties to the disgraced financier.

The prime minister said Mandelson had “portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew.” In a speech on Thursday, he said “I am sorry … for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him.”

Starmer fired Mandelson in September after emails were published showing that he maintained a friendship with Epstein following the late financier’s 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor. Epstein died by suicide in a jail cell in 2019, while awaiting trial on U.S. federal charges accusing him of sexually abusing dozens of girls.

Starmer never met Epstein and is not accused of any wrongdoing. But the prime minister is under intense pressure over the appointment after newly released documents revealed new details of Mandelson’s close relationship with Epstein.

“I was lied to,” Starmer said.

“It had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship," he added.

British police are investigating Mandelson over potential misconduct in public office. He is not accused of any sexual offenses.

Documents published last week by the U.S. Department of Justice contain new revelations, including papers suggesting Mandelson shared sensitive government information with Epstein after the 2008 global financial crisis. There are also scores of chatty, jokey messages pointing to a much closer relationship than Mandelson had previously disclosed.

The newly released files also suggest that in 2003 to 2004, Epstein sent three payments totaling $75,000 to accounts linked to Mandelson or his partner Reinaldo Avila da Silva, now his husband.

Mandelson, 72, has been a major, and contentious, figure in the Labour Party since the 1990s. He twice had to resign from senior posts in previous administrations because of scandals over money or ethics.

He was chosen as ambassador because his trade expertise, network of contents and mastery of the political “dark arts” were considered assets in dealing with President Donald Trump's administration.

Critics say Mandelson’s ties with Epstein made his appointment too risky and Starmer was, at best, naïve.

“I think the prime minister has shown that his judgement is questionable,” Labour lawmaker Paula Barker said. “I think he has questions to answer. I think he has a very long way to go to rebuild trust and confidence with the public, and trust and confidence within our party.”

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech at Horntye Park Sports Complex in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, England, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Peter Nicholls/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech at Horntye Park Sports Complex in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, England, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Peter Nicholls/Pool Photo via AP)