Austrian Skier Aigner Wins 5 Medals at 2026 Paralympics

When Veronika Aigner's regular guide was injured weeks before the Paralympics, the Austrian skier didn't let it stop her historic run. She just switched guides and made history anyway.

The 23-year-old vision-impaired Alpine skier left Milano Cortina 2026 with an incredible five medals from five races. Four were gold, and one was silver, making her a six-time Paralympic champion overall when combined with her two golds from Beijing 2022.

What makes this even more remarkable is that Aigner competed with two different guides after her older sister Elisabeth was injured at a World Cup event in February. She won her first three medals with guide Lilly Sammer, then her final two with tech guide Eric Digruber, who stepped in at the last minute.

In her final race, a slalom event held in unpredictable weather conditions ranging from heavy snow to sunshine, Aigner crossed the finish line more than four seconds ahead of her competition. Guide Digruber fell to his knees and bowed to her as the winning time flashed on the clock.

"I finished all the races with a good result," Aigner told Olympics.com after her fifth medal. "It's the best result an athlete would want and I'm very proud."

Her Austrian teammate Elina Stary, just 19 years old, took home three medals of her own, including a silver in that final slalom race. Stary actually preferred the stormy weather conditions because sunshine affects her vision impairment.

The women's standing race brought its own drama when three-time gold medalist Ebba Årsjö from Sweden was leading after the first run but made a costly mistake in her second attempt and skied out. That opened the door for Russia's Varvara Voronchikhina to claim her second gold medal on her Paralympic debut.

Why This Inspires

These athletes show us that setbacks don't define success. Aigner lost her primary guide right before the biggest competition of her life and still delivered the performance of a lifetime. Stary turned what could be a disadvantage (her vision challenges in bright sunlight) into motivation during the cloudy conditions. Even Årsjö, who made an unexpected exit, had already won three golds and inspired countless fans.

Their resilience reminds us that adapting to change and pushing through obstacles can lead to extraordinary achievements.