40-Year-Old Austrian Snowboarder Makes Olympic History, Celebrates Shirtless

Benjamin Karl becomes the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympic history after defending his parallel giant slalom title.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Austria's Benjamin Karl, 40, made history on Sunday by successfully defending his snowboarding Olympic title in parallel giant slalom, becoming the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympic history. After his record-breaking moment, Karl took off several layers of clothing to celebrate his gold medal in the snow, flexing his muscles and showing no signs of a 'dad bod' despite his middle age.

Why it matters

Parallel giant slalom (PGS) is a snowboarding event that seems to favor older athletes, with the men's silver medalist being 37 and another top rider being 45. Karl's historic win and shirtless celebration highlight the longevity and fitness of elite snowboarders, even as they reach middle age.

The details

In the parallel giant slalom event, snowboarders zigzag through gates over a short course to see who reaches the bottom first. Karl, 40, became the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympic history after defending his title in this event. To celebrate, he tore off his shirt and flexed his muscles, showing off his physique despite being middle-aged.

  • On Sunday, February 9, 2026, Benjamin Karl won the gold medal in the parallel giant slalom event at the Winter Olympics.

The players

Benjamin Karl

A 40-year-old Austrian snowboarder who successfully defended his Olympic title in parallel giant slalom, becoming the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympic history.

Kim Sangkyum

The 37-year-old silver medalist in the men's parallel giant slalom event.

Roland Fischnaller

A 45-year-old snowboarder who was one of the top riders in the parallel giant slalom event.

Tervel Zamfirov

The Bulgarian snowboarder who won the bronze medal in the parallel giant slalom event, earning his country's first-ever Olympic medal in the sport.

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What they’re saying

“You saw me with my naked body, and I think you can be super good in shape until 40 and maybe until 50, I don't know. There is no reason to slow down with my age.”

— Benjamin Karl

The takeaway

Benjamin Karl's historic gold medal win and shirtless celebration at age 40 demonstrate that elite snowboarders can maintain peak physical fitness well into middle age, defying stereotypes about aging athletes. His achievement highlights the longevity and endurance of top competitors in the sport of parallel giant slalom.