BORMIO, Italy — You could tell that even though American downhill skier Bryce Bennett was wearing sunglasses as he spoke to the media at the Stelvio Ski Center, there was still emotion behind them.
Bennett had just given an unforgettable television interview. He burst into tears. That was while discussing his family. He also scored a respectable 13 pointsth– Finished first in the men’s downhill, his first medal at the 2026 Olympics in Cortina, Milan, and possibly the last Olympics of his career.
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Bennett, 33, confirmed this when asked about his reaction on camera. It’s a combination of all those factors, he said.
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“The Olympics are a lot different than the World Cup. You get a lot more emotion,” said Bennett, who is competing in his third Olympics. “I would say it just brings more character to your game that you don’t necessarily get every weekend on a regular tour.
“Honestly, what I really love about the Olympics is harnessing that energy as something special. It’s hard to do that all the time. It’s emotionally, mentally and physically taxing.”
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Bennett became a father last year. His wife gave birth to daughter Kate in March last year.
Although Bennett is a native Californian, his chosen career path means his family resides in Innsbruck, Austria. That’s not far from Bormio, who clocked 1 minute, 53.45 seconds in the downhill race on Feb. 7, finishing second among four U.S. skiers with his family in attendance.
Bryce Bennett of the United States wins the men’s downhill skiing medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics in Bormio, Italy on February 7, 2026.
“(My wife) has basically moved here,” Bennett said. “Our little family lives in Innsbruck. I go to tournaments and come back and just try to get the family together. As North Americans, we’re on the road 250 days a year, which is difficult.”
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Bennett said he doesn’t think he will compete in this Olympics again.
“I’m going to go out for a few days,” he said, “to have some aperitifs in Italy, hang out with the family and get ready for the next World Cup.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Bryce Bennett cried after final Olympic downhill race, what happens next
