Milan (Italy) (AFP) – Italy’s Federica Brignone won her second gold of a fairytale Olympics in Sunday’s giant slalom as Norway’s Johannes Klaebo claimed a record ninth Winter Games title. Brignone, who was on the surgeon’s table just 10 months ago, celebrated in front of passionate home fans in the Cortina d’Ampezzo sunshine.
With the women’s super-G already under her belt, she clocked a winning combined time of 2min 13.50sec. In an incredible ending, Sweden’s Sara Hector and Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund shared silver after posting identical times in both their first and second runs to finish 0.62 seconds behind the winner. Brignone’s victory marks an astonishing comeback for the 35-year-old, who suffered a broken leg in April last year that required extensive surgery.
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“I would exchange my medals to come back and not have this injury, of this I am sure,” said Brignone, referring to the pain she suffered. “My attitude was just to be happy to be here,” she added. “That was already an achievement. Just to be back as an athlete.”
Maybe that’s the feeling. I was not feeling pressure, not so much. A bit more after the super-G. I was able to think about my skiing and let it go. But it was a different story for US star Mikaela Shiffrin, who suffered more Olympic heartbreak, finishing a lowly 11th. The two-time gold medallist, who is the most successful skier in history in World Cup events, has failed to win an Olympic medal of any colour since the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. The 30-year-old came into the Milan-Cortina Olympics in red-hot form but she flopped in the team combined event and was little better on Sunday. Shiffrin has one more medal chance, in the slalom on Wednesday.
– Klaebo stands alone –
In Tesero, Klaebo led home the Norwegian 4 x 7.5-kilometre relay team to win the ninth gold medal of his career, more than any man or woman has ever achieved in the Winter Olympics. It was also his fourth gold medal of these Games and he has two more events still to come. The Norwegian quartet were so far ahead that Klaebo was able to wave to the crowd with his ski poles in the home straight before he was greeted by his celebrating teammates.
The 29-year-old overtakes three of his compatriots who have won eight golds at Winter Olympics — former cross-country skiers Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie, and former biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen. “It was good to share the top with them for a couple of days. It feels even better to be on the top alone for sure,” he said. “It’s a big achievement, and I think it will take some time to let it sink in.”
Dutch speed skating star Jutta Leerdam was denied a second gold medal in Italy by teammate Femke Kok in a thrilling 500 metres contest. Kok turned the tables on Leerdam, the girlfriend of American YouTuber Jake Paul, after the positions were reversed in the 1000m event earlier in the Games. “King of the Moguls” Mikael Kingsbury signed off his Olympic career in style, winning the men’s dual moguls to collect his fifth freestyle skiing medal.
Great Britain celebrated their first-ever gold on snow after Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale teamed up to win the mixed team snowboard cross. Hours later, Britain increased their tally of golds to three when Tabitha Stoecker and Matt Weston triumphed in the mixed team skeleton. In ice hockey, Canada hammered France 10-2 in an awesome show of power to finish the preliminary round with three thumping wins from three matches. Canada are favourites for the title but the Americans are desperate for their first Olympic men’s gold since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid.
© 2024 AFP
