Norway and Germany celebrated their medals with raw emotion, laughter and team-only rituals the cameras rarely catch. We caught the moments that turned podium success into unforgettable nights.

Zicke, zacke - for the first German medal in Antholz 2026

The German bronze-winning Mixed Relay team of Justus Strelow, Philipp Nawrath, Vanessa Voigt, and Franziska Preuss returned to their hotel to find the whole team—powered by the tireless David Zobel’s “Zicke, zacke, hoi, hoi, hoi”—waiting for them. Dancing to Italian hits and some rap while catching falling medals, Team Germany had a blast.

Celebration Beyond The Podium

Johan-Olav Botn won the Individual gold the hardest way possible—after skipping the first two weeks of competitions in 2026, battling a virus, and mourning the death of his usual roommate, Sivert Guttorm Bakken. After the highly emotional aftermath of the race, Botn, the selfless and generous person he is, shared the cake with his bronze medal-winning teammate Sturla Holm Laegreid and their French rival Eric Perrot—who, as a special guest, was served first.