Austrian · Frauenfeld, Switzerland · Born 30 July 1993Austrian snowboarder and the first Austrian man to win Olympic gold in snowboarding, who successfully defended his snowboard cross title at Milan-Cortina 2026 in a rematch of his photo-finish 2022 victory.
Alessandro Hämmerle was born on 30 July 1993 in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, to an Austrian father and Italian-born mother, and began snowboarding at age nine at his home resort of Silvretta Montafon in Austria. He made his Olympic debut at the 2014 Sochi Games, advancing out of the first elimination round before finishing 17th overall, and steadily built his World Cup career over the following seasons. Hämmerle's breakthrough came at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where the 28-year-old edged Canada's Eliot Grondin by just 0.02 seconds in a photo-finish men's snowboard cross final, becoming the first Austrian man ever to win an Olympic gold medal in snowboarding. The dramatic finish saw Grondin dive at the line in a desperate attempt to close the gap, falling agonizingly short. Hämmerle backed up his Olympic breakthrough with continued World Cup success, becoming a multiple overall World Cup champion in snowboard cross, despite missing much of the 2022-23 season through a concussion. At the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics, he produced a near-identical result to defend his title, again beating Grondin in another razor-thin photo finish - this time by 0.03 seconds - to become a back-to-back Olympic champion, the first in the event since Switzerland's Philipp Schoch. He announced afterward that he intends to retire following the 2027 World Championships on home snow in Austria.
Becoming the first Austrian man to win Olympic snowboarding gold and defending his snowboard cross title in a near-identical photo finish four years later
How They Played
Tactically composed, technically precise snowboard cross racer known for razor-sharp finishes and consistency across World Cup seasons
Lasting Impact
Regarded as one of the finest snowboard cross racers of his generation, whose rivalry with Eliot Grondin produced two of the closest Olympic finishes in the sport's history
Career Honours
- 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, Snowboard Cross (2022, 2026)
- First Austrian man to win Olympic gold in snowboarding
- Multiple overall World Cup champion, snowboard cross
- First back-to-back Olympic snowboard cross champion since Philipp Schoch
Austrian Athletes