Triumphant 2026 Winter Olympics

Triumphant 2026 Winter Olympics
for the Original Kornspitz

Austrian bread culture meets Olympic splendour: while athletes competed for medals, backaldrin delighted guests at the Austria House with its exquisite breads and pastries.

The Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo drew to a close on 22 February, marking the end of an unforgettable chapter. Austria’s athletes secured an impressive 18 medals, beaming from the podium and celebrating their achievements at the Austria House. Over the 17 days the House was open, around 14,000 visitors per day enjoyed outstanding bread and bakery specialities. Nearly 30,000 pieces of bread and pastries were savoured during the Games at the Austria House, including some 6,000 Original Kornspitz, almost 20,000 small baked goods, approximately a tonne of bread, and around 4,000 servings of apple strudel and cake. These figures underscore just how popular backaldrin’s products proved with international guests.

With our Olympic bakery at the Austria House, we wanted to bring a taste of home to Italy. We are delighted that our bakers on site succeeded so brilliantly, and that we were able to share Austrian bread culture with guests from all over the world.
Wolfgang Mayer
Managing Director

A Night to Remember: Upper Austria Evening Becomes a Medal Celebration

The Austria House was far more than a meeting point for visitors; it was a hub where partnerships and friendships were forged, and where the successes of the Olympic Games were celebrated together. Numerous international bakers visited the Austria House to experience first-hand the quality of backaldrin’s baked goods. A particular highlight was the Upper Austria Evening, which brought together leading figures from business, tourism, sport, politics, and the media, demonstrating Upper Austria’s strong commitment to the Austrian Olympic Committee’s Austria House. Among the distinguished guests were ÖOC Vice President and dressage Olympic champion Elisabeth Max-Theurer, IOC member and ÖOC board member Karl Stoss, four-time Olympic medallist Klaus Sulzenbacher, ORF Head of Sport Veronika Dragon-Berger, ORF presenter Rainer Pariasek, FIS CEO Urs Lehmann, Federal Sports GmbH Managing Director Clemens Trimmel, ski legends Kristian Ghedina and Marco Büchel, ski prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe, Upper Austria’s Director of Sport Gerhard Rumetshofer, Sölden Cable Cars CEO Jack Falkner, Olympic sailor David Hussl, Start-Up Sport board member Hans Pum, FIS advisor Alexandra Meißnitzer, Norwegian speed specialist Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, and many more. The evening reached its perfect conclusion with Conny Hütter’s bronze medal, which was also celebrated at the event. “When an athlete from our Kornspitz Sport Team wins an Olympic medal on the very same day and celebrates with us here, it shows just how much dedication, trust and teamwork pay off. We’re thrilled she saved her success for the Upper Austria Evening,” Wolfgang Mayer remarked with a wink.

Conny Hütter Realises
a Lifelong Dream

For the speed queen from the Kornspitz Sport Team, the 2026 Winter Olympics were the fulfilment of a dream. With her bronze medal in the Super-G, she crowned a remarkable career and created a personal highlight. The 33-year-old Styrian also competed in two further events: she narrowly missed another medal in the downhill, finishing fourth, and secured fifth place in the team combined with her partner Katharina Truppe. At least in this event, Austrians Ariane Rädler and Katharina Huber captured gold. Overall, Conny Hütter was more than satisfied with her performances in Italy

Anna Andexer Delivers
Sensational Performances

Although she left without a medal, biathlete Anna Andexer performed outstandingly. The 23-year-old, also a member of the Kornspitz Sport Team, competed in five events. Particularly impressive were her ninth-place finishes in both the women’s 12.5 km mass start and the 7.5 km sprint – personal bests that once again displayed her immense talent. She also gained valuable experience with 21^st place in the 10 km pursuit, 15^th in the 4x6 km relay, and 62^nd in the 15 km individual.

Christoph Sumann:
Olympic Medal Awarded After 16 Years

In April 2025, Christoph Sumann was officially introduced as the new Sports Director for Biathlon at the Austrian Ski Federation. Previously, the Styrian had spent several years as Sports Director for the Kornspitz Sport Team at backaldrin. Even in his new role, his connection with the Asten-based baking ingredients manufacturer remains strong, as backaldrin is also a partner of the biathlon division. During the 2026 Winter Olympics, Christoph Sumann was retrospectively awarded the bronze medal for the mass start at Vancouver 2010 – a moment we are delighted to celebrate once more. The relay team that originally placed third in Sochi 2014, featuring Sumann, Mesotitsch, Landertinger and Eder, was also upgraded to silver. Both changes result from a ruling that annulled all results of Russian athlete Sergei Ustyugov between 24 January 2010 and the end of the 2013/14 season.

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