Swiss skiers Franjo von Allmen and Tanguy Nef capture gold as team combined makes Olympic debut

BORMIO, Italy (AP) — Franjo von Allmen is a patient ski racer. He's not a patient spectator.

That's what the Swiss standout learned about himself Monday in picking up his second Olympic gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.

In fourth place after his downhill run, von Allmen anxiously watched teammate Tanguy Nef from the bottom of the hill make up the deficit in the slalom to take the team combined title as the event made its Olympic debut.

Just like that, the team labeled Swiss-2 just became No. 1.

“Calm? What is that?” cracked von Allmen, who won the Olympic downhill over the weekend. "No, my knees were sweating. I was nervous, like I was never (nervous) in this season before. But Tanguy absolutely nailed it. ... Left me speechless.”

Nef proved immune to pressure even if he'd never finished in the top-three of a World Cup race. He found speed on a rutted slalom course to help his team finish in a combined time of 2 minutes, 44.04 seconds. The Swiss-1 team of Marco Odermatt and Loic Meillard tied for silver with the Austrian-1 team of Vincent Kriechmayr and Manuel Feller. Both teams finished 0.99 seconds behind.

The team combined event involves one racer competing in a downhill run and another in a slalom, with their two times added up to determine the final results.

“Our plan was to give everything and give our best,” Nef explained. “We both signed up for that. So, no pressure from him. I was focused on my skiing."

No bronze medal was awarded as a result of two teams finishing in a tie for silver. It made for a lopsided photo opportunity, with all six basically standing on one side of the podium.

New partner, same results for von Allmen. He won gold at world championships last February by uniting with Meillard. This time, based on rankings, he had Nef, who turned in a sensational run on a warm day along the Stelvio course. Nef had to make up a 0.42-second deficit on a course that was growing bumpier and bumpier. He did and von Allmen met him in the finish area to celebrate.

“Today, definitely, he did most of the work,” von Allmen said. "Just amazing, just crazy.”

It was a measure of atonement for Odermatt, who wound up a disappointing fourth in the downhill on Saturday.

“First, we were a little bit nervous it might be another fourth place,” said Odermatt, an Olympic gold medalist in the giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Games. "In the end, Loic made an amazing second run and secured us the medal. ... We already have our souvenir from the Olympics. We both have some more chances (events) to do and that helps us in the upcoming races.”

Kriechmayr, 34, and Feller, 33, were seventh after the downhill, but Feller brought them back to silver.

“After my downhill, I never expected a medal,” Kriechmayr said. “Manuel’s run was pretty fast. He skied pretty good. (We were) lucky as well with the guys ahead struggling.”

Giovanni Franzoni, the silver medalist in the downhill, had Italy-1 in first place after the opening run. Alex Vinatzer, the last racer on the course, struggled to settle into a rhythm and they fell to sixth.

“It's not as much how I'm feeling for me. I'm really sorry for Giovanni,” Vinatzer said. “Because he deserved a medal very much with his downhill run. It was great. Regarding me, I tried to keep it simple, tried to keep it cool. The pressure got the best of me.”

The Swiss swept gold, silver and bronze in the men's team combined at the world championships last February.

In the women's event slated for Tuesday, Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson will pair up. They combined to win the event at worlds. Johnson is the reigning Olympic downhill champion after winning Sunday.

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

From right, gold medalists Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen, and teammate Tanguy Nef, joint-silver medalists Austria's Manuel Feller and teammate Vincent Kriechmayr, and Switzerland's Marco Odermatt, and teammate Loic Meillard, listen to the Swiss national anthem at the finish area of an alpine ski men's team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Switzerland's Tanguy Nef speeds down the course of an alpine ski men's slalom portion of a team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Gold medalists Switzerland's Nef Tanguy, right, and teammate Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen, second from right, stand with joint-silver medalists Switzerland's Loic Meillard, third from right, and Switzerland's Marco Odermatt, Austria's Manuel Feller, second from left, and Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr, at the finish area of an alpine ski men's slalom portion of a team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen, right, bows to his teammate Switzerland's Nef Tanguy at the finish area of an alpine ski men's slalom portion of a team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen, right, goes to hug his teammate Switzerland's Nef Tanguy at the finish area of an alpine ski men's slalom portion of a team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Switzerland's Alexis Monney celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski men's downhill portion of a team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski men's downhill portion of a team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Italy's Giovanni Franzoni speeds down the course of an alpine ski men's downhill portion of a team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Italy's Giovanni Franzoni celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski men's downhill portion of a team combined race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Bormio, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

CHICAGO (AP) — Oscar Cluff scored 21 points, Trey Kaufman-Renn had 20 and No. 18 Purdue topped No. 3 Michigan 80-72 on Sunday for the Big Ten Tournament championship.

Braden Smith had 14 points, 11 assists and three steals as Purdue (27-8) added to an impressive turnaround after closing the regular season with four losses in six games. Fletcher Loyer made three 3-pointers and finished with 14 points.

Purdue won the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2023 and third time overall. It lost to Michigan in the final in 1998 and 2018.

The Boilermakers received a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament. They will play Queens on Friday in the first round of the West Region.

Yaxel Lendeborg scored 20 points for top-seeded Michigan (31-3), which beat Purdue 91-80 in their regular-season meeting on Feb. 17. Aday Mara had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.

The loss seemingly had no effect on the Wolverines' road for the NCAA tourney. They were awarded the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and a Thursday matchup with the winner of the UMBC-Howard game in the First Four.

“We know the month that we have ahead,” Mara said. “We’ve just got to be ready, be better, and feel this right now because it doesn’t feel good, and use it to be better in the tournament.”

Wearing No. 41 after he ripped his No. 3 jersey in frustration early in the game, Smith helped the Boilermakers seize control by deftly running the pick and roll with Kaufman-Renn in the second half. The senior point guard has 1,075 career assists, just one shy of Bobby Hurley’s NCAA record.

Two jumpers by Kaufman-Renn off passes from Smith powered Purdue to a 55-44 lead with 12:55 left. After Elliot Cadeau scored for Michigan, the 6-foot Smith drove inside, drew a foul on the 7-3 Mara and scored, drawing a big cheer from the Purdue fans in the crowd at the United Center.

Smith celebrated by pounding his chest as he walked toward a rollicking Purdue bench. He made the ensuing free throw for a 58-46 lead with 12:06 to go.

The Boilermakers made nine of their first 11 shots in the second half. They shot 15 for 26 in the second half overall.

Cadeau finished with 10 points and 10 assists for Michigan, which won the Big Ten tourney in 2025. Playing in his hometown, Nimari Burnett scored 12 points.

“They earned it,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “Obviously we weren’t at our best, but obviously Purdue has something to do with that.”

Purdue used a 12-2 run to take a 38-34 lead late in the first half. But Cadeau found Mara for an alley-oop dunk and converted a tying layup in the final seconds.

Purdue has been a top-four seed in its last nine NCAA Tournament appearances.

Michigan is a No. 1 seed for the fourth time in program history. With two more wins, it would return to the United Center for the Sweet 16.

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Purdue center Oscar Cluff (45) dunks past Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the championship of the Big 10 Conference tournament, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)