Team Spain ski mountaineer Ana Alonso Rodriguez finished her 2026 Winter Olympics journey with two bronze medals mere months after being hit by a automotive.
On Saturday, February 21, Rodriguez, 31, and her teammate Oriol Cardona Coll clinched a bronze medal within the Milan and Cortina, Italy, ski mountaineering mixed relay event, ending behind France’s gold medal winners Emily Harrop and Thibault Anselmet and silver medalists, Marianne Fatton and Jon Kistler, of Switzerland. Rodriguez had previously won bronze in the ladies’s sprint event earlier within the week.
Two podium placements for Rodriguez was a very astounding result since she survived being struck by a automotive last October. Rodriguez said her “dangerous” decision to compete within the Olympics so soon after her injuries payed off, despite her decision to avoid having surgery for her torn ACL and separated shoulder.
“I made a really dangerous decision, which was to not have surgery on my knee or shoulder, and plenty of people thought I used to be crazy, but in the long run it wasn’t so crazy, and I won as many medals as I assumed I could,” she told Reuters on Saturday.
Rodriguez added, “I feel very proud that I didn’t quit and gave it my all until the tip and believed in myself a lot since it was very difficult. I believe I’ve managed to seek out a strength that even I didn’t know I had.”
In October 2025, Rodriguez posted a take a look at the aftermath of a devastating accident that occurred during training.
In a series of slides via Instagram, Rodriguez showcased the moments after the crash as she lay on the street below an SUV with a cracked windshield. A selfie shot later within the gym showcased the athlete along with her left arm in a sling and her left knee protected by a heavy brace as she used a crutch to face upright.
“A number of days ago, while I used to be training on my road bike, a automotive hit me. On the last moment, once I saw there was no way out, I used to be in a position to tense my body and brace for the impact… and I’m convinced that’s what prevented something much worse,” she wrote.
On the time, Rodriguez admitted her future in ski mountaineering was uncertain due to a litany of injuries, including ACL and MCL ligament tears, a broken ankle, a separated shoulder and bone edema in her knee.
“All things considered, I’m here (which is what matters most), in a single piece and more determined than ever to maneuver forward,” she wrote. “I do know the road ahead won’t be easy. There can be gray days—days of pain, doubt, and exhaustion… but I also know those are the times that make you truly appreciate it when the sun shines again.”
Rodriguez went on, “It’s not the primary time I’ve needed to get back up. Though this time the hill is steeper and I even have to climb it faster—you already know I’ve never liked the simple paths. I’m putting my fighter suit back on and going for it, surrounded by one of the best skilled and human team I could possibly have.”
Rodriguez admitted that the roadside collision was an unexpected twist on her quest for glory in Milan and Cortina.
Ana Alonso Rodriguez along with her bronze medal. Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
“Just 7 months ago, I fulfilled a dream [to qualify for the Olympics] that was born once I was 7 years old,” she wrote. “I don’t consider life brought me there just to depart me here. This isn’t an ending—it’s just a brand new challenge to climb with determination, faith, and lots of passion.”
She concluded, “From the underside of my heart, thanks to everyone who has been and continues to be there. Feeling a lot trust, love, and support is my engine, my drive, and my strength to realize this. There aren’t enough words to specific all my gratitude. I’m fortunate—now greater than ever 🥹🙏🏻That is for you—for individuals who never doubted for a moment; and for individuals who aren’t any longer here, but whom I feel with me in every step.”
Rodriguez’s dedication paid off when she hit the slopes in Milan and Cortina. Earlier within the week, the ski mountaineer told the Associated Press that it was “so emotional” to have triumphed within the face of such adversity.
“I couldn’t consider it [that I won a bronze medal] … Attempting to consider that I achieved this medal, it was a good looking moment for me,” she added.
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Rodriguez stressed that her only goal coming into Milan and Cortina was simply to compete since even that possibility seemed distant only a number of months ago.
“I desired to concentrate on myself and be pleased with my performance, regardless of the result,” she said. “So I only desired to cross the finish line being pleased with my performance.”