There is no such thing as being cold for Benjamin Karl.
The Austrian snowboarder showed as much when he ripped off his jacket and four layers of clothing after winning a second consecutive gold medal in the men’s parallel giant slalom on Sunday morning at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
He pumped his arms and screamed for the victory that came during what Karl has said will be his last Olympics and will retire after this season.
After trailing South Korea’s Kim Sang-kyum for the majority of the final race at Livigno Snow Park, Karl eventually took advantage of a late slip up and crossed the finish line 0.19 seconds ahead to take home the gold hardware. Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov raced for the bronze.
The theatrics for the 40-year-old didn’t end there.
Karl went on to celebrate by tossing the powder in the air and went on to lay face-down in the snow in what has likely been the most exuberant victory celebrations so far in the Milan Cortina Olympics.
2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
He later put at least his jacket back on for the medal ceremony. He stood with Sang-kyum and Zamfirov on the podium fully clothed as the National Anthem rang out.
With his victory, Karl became the first snowboarder to win four Olympic medals. Alongside his two golds, he holds a bronze from the 2014 Sochi Games and a silver from the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
