Italian Metal Band Vocalist Wins Medal at 2026 Winter Olympics

JAKARTA - The 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, gave birth to a unique story that combines the adrenaline of the ski track with the distortion of rock music.

Dominik Paris, the host nation's star alpine skiing racer, successfully secured a bronze medal in the downhill category.

Behind his tight uniform and protective helmet, this 36-year-old man is also the frontman of an Italian metal band, Rise Of Voltage.

This victory crowned Paris as the second oldest athlete to win a medal in the history of the sport.

Although he has bagged 24 victories throughout his career in the Ski World Cup, this medal is Paris' first achievement on the Olympic stage.

"Getting this success on the hill means a lot to me. The World Cup is different, but the Olympics are really special - you never know what's going to happen," Paris said, quoted by NME, Wednesday, February 11.

"I tried very hard at the previous Olympics when I was young and had great strength," he continued.

Beyond sports professionalism, Paris' interest in metal music is not just a hobby. Since the age of 14, he has fallen in love with the extreme music genre.

Together with his brother, Lukas Paris, as well as Frank Pichler and Florian Schwienbacher, he founded Rise Of Voltage in 2017.

The band has released two full-length albums, namely "Time" (2018) and "Escape" (2024). Interestingly, Paris admitted that the pressure on the music stage was much greater than when launching at high speed on the snow.

"It feels very different to be on stage with a band. It's not easy to survive for an hour on stage while screaming," said Paris. "For me, I'm not too nervous when I do a ski race because I know exactly what I have to do."

Jokingly, he admitted that his ability on the ski board was much more qualified than his vocals. "I'm sure I'm a better skier than a singer, but I don't think I'm too bad as a metal band vocalist," he added.

After the success at the Olympics, Dominik Paris will not rest for long. He is scheduled to return to the music stage with Rise Of Voltage to perform at the Alpen Flair festival, this summer, alongside international bands such as Ice Nine Kills.