A Taste of Austrian Bread Culture Meets Olympic Brilliance. As athletes competed for medals, backaldrin delighted guests at the Austria House with its exceptional breads and baked specialties.

The Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo concluded on 22 February, closing an unforgettable chapter. Austria’s athletes secured 18 medals, shone from the podiums, and celebrated their achievements at the Austria House. Over the 17 days the Austria House was open, around 14,000 visitors per day enjoyed outstanding breads and pastries. Nearly 30,000 pieces of bread and baked goods were consumed during the Games at the Austria House. Among them were approximately 6,000 Original Kornspitz, almost 20,000 small baked items, about a ton of bread, and around 4,000 servings of apple strudel and cake—clear evidence of how popular backaldrin’s products were with international guests.

“With our Olympic bakery at the Austria House, we wanted to bring a piece of home to Italy. We are thrilled that our bakers on site accomplished this so well and that we were able to share Austrian bread culture with guests from all over the world,” says backaldrin Managing Director Wolfgang Mayer.

Bronze for Conny Hütter and the Kornspitz Sport Team

Five gold, eight silver, and five bronze medals: Austria’s athletes return home with this impressive tally, matching their success from the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Particularly pleasing is the bronze medal won by speed queen Conny Hütter, a member of the Kornspitz Sport Team, who celebrated another personal career highlight in the Super-G. Another top performance, though just shy of a medal, came from Anna Andexer, who finished ninth in both the sprint and mass start. The 23-year-old from Salzburg, also part of the Kornspitz Sport Team, once again demonstrated her promising talent.

“Our partnership with the Austrian Olympic Committee and our commitment to sports are long-term. It’s something special when we can celebrate successes at major events together with the athletes from our Kornspitz Sport Team,” emphasizes backaldrin owner and Kornspitz inventor Peter Augendopler.

A Star-Studded Upper Austrian Evening Becomes a Medal Celebration

The Austria House was more than just a meeting place for visitors. It was a venue where partnerships and friendships were forged, and where everyone could share in the joy of Olympic achievements. Many international bakers visited the Austria House to experience the high-quality baked goods from backaldrin firsthand.

A true highlight was the Upper Austrian Evening: figures from business, tourism, sports, politics, and media came together, underscoring Upper Austria’s visible commitment to the Austria House as a platform for Olympic success. Notable guests included ÖOC Vice President and Olympic dressage champion Elisabeth Max-Theurer, IOC member and ÖOC board member Karl Stoss, four-time Olympic medalist Klaus Sulzenbacher, ORF sports director 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 sports director Gerhard Rumetshofer, Sölden cable car 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 was perfectly rounded off by Conny Hütter’s bronze medal, which was also celebrated at the event. “When an athlete from our Kornspitz Sport Team wins an Olympic medal and celebrates with us on the same day, it shows just how much dedication, trust, and teamwork pay off. We’re delighted she saved her success for the Upper Austrian Evening,” Wolfgang Mayer said with a wink.

Photo Captions:

Conny Hütter © GEPA Alexander Solc
Olympic Bakery © ÖOC Michael Meindl
Upper Austrian Evening © ÖOC Michael Meindl
Conny Hütter and Giant Kornspitz © ÖOC Michael Meindl