Gisin retains her alpine combined Olympic title

A pattern seems to be forming in the alpine combined Olympic races, as for the last 20 years (six Olympic Games), athletes who have won gold in the discipline manage to defend their title and win a second gold four years later.

Michelle Gisin (SUI) retains her title of alpine combined Olympic champion after a very strong slalom run which saw her finish over one second ahead of the other racers. Finishing the downhill race in 12th, Gisin had to ensure a strong slalom performance and that is exactly what she did. Gisin becomes the third athlete to win back-to-back alpine combined Olympic gold medals after Janica Kostelic (2002-2006) and Maria Hoefl-Riesch (2010-2014).

On successfully defending her title:
“Four years ago I did it with my downhill and this time I did it with my slalom. It’s a pity that Mikaela (Shiffrin, USA) did not finish, I would love to have battled for gold with her.
“I didn’t think I could put a slalom run together like this after these three weeks, it was so intense. We had some turbulences with the starting squad for the downhill, it was a really hard-fought last four days for me.
“I’m just over the moon on how I skied in this slalom, because downhill was really good, except for that big mistake on top which cost me a lot of time in the second and third sector. Everything else was good, but I usually should have been not where I was, I shouldn’t have been behind Mikaela and Wendy (Holdener, SUI) after the downhill.
“I realised in between runs that it’s just so hard to defend a title, especially this year. I knew that my downhill is really strong, I had great racing in Val d’Isere, a great race in Cortina with no training at all.
“I came here and I liked the slope, and then I make that medal (bronze) in super-G, which was totally insane and was second after the first run in slalom. I realised that I should really make it, but then I did one mistake (on the downhill run) and I realised it’s not that easy. There’s more pressure on you of course if you have to defend a title.
“I’m just so glad I did this slalom run, I’ve no idea where that came from.”

Swiss compatriot and 2018 Olympic alpine combined bronze medallist, Wendy Holdener, managed to place higher than her 2018 result after claiming the silver medal. Finishing 1.05 seconds behind Gisin and 0.80 seconds ahead of Federica Brignone (ITA), Holdener claims her second medal at these Olympics after placing 3rd in the slalom race.

On her performance:
“I would say it was a pretty good downhill run, even with a few mistakes, it didn’t matter. A solid slalom.
“I didn’t take enough risk for the win, because Michelle (Gisin, SUI) skied amazing, but it was also a special situation because I knew Mikaela (Shiffrin, USA) was out, so not that easy.”

On what the medal means:
“It means I’m one of the best Alpine combined ladies, the girl who can ski all disciplines. It’s amazing.”

Swiss coach Beat Tschuor on the team’s dominance: 
“It’s hard to explain. They did a great job. The athletes were really ready to do it perfect(ly). The team were ready. 
“We just tried to do the same as we always work in world cup and just go for it, calm and easy. Nothing special.” 

After finishing 8th in the downhill element of the alpine combined, Italian, Federica Brignone, pushed hard to make up five places and finished 3rd in the slalom. This is Brignone’s second medal in these Olympics after having placed 2nd in the women’s GS.

On her performance:
“For sure there was not many racers today, but these two girls (Michelle Gisin, gold, and Wendy Holdener, silver, both SUI) were skiing great in slalom. I had no chance with them, and I had not too much distance from downhill to try for a better medal.
“I was lucky that Mikaela (Shiffrin, USA) skied out. But this is skiing, this is sports.
“I just tried to ski my best but without taking too many risks.”

On winning her second medal at Beijing 2022, after silver in giant slalom:
“Having two medals already is great. For sure the one I was expecting more was the super-G one, but it’s simply not where I am the best. I tried my best, and I didn’t succeed (in super-G), but I’m so happy with the other two medals.
“After super-G I was getting a bit down with my head, and I was really tired. This winter has been OK, OK, OK, and then from January on it was such a stress to come here and not being tested positive (for Covid-19), and then everyone was freaking out for this situation. It was not easy. (It’s) already stressful to go to the Olympic Games, and be one of the possible medallists.
“There was a lot more pressure, you couldn’t do anything with friends at home. So my head was down after super-G, I was like, ‘oh, I want to go home, I’m too tired’. But then it took me two days, I rested a bit, and trained in slalom, and I said, ‘I’m here too, it’s probably my last Olympic Games and I’ll take everything I can’.”

Both Elena Curtoni (ITA) and Marta Bassino (ITA) who had their eyes on a podium finish did not finish one of the two races. Curtoni didn’t manage to finish her downhill race, whereas Bassino didn’t finish the slalom.

Another upset for Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) as she failed to finish her slalom after finishing 5th in the downhill race.

On what went wrong to result in a third DNF (did not finish) for her at these Olympic Games: 
“I mean, I haven’t seen the video but I think that I actually had a really good start and got into my tempo, my rhythm, quite well.
“I felt really full acceleration off the first gates and I think back in my career, 47 different times that I had this feeling – the right balance of intensity, focus, the feeling I had on my skis – it always worked. It was always good, fast skiing but I never had an issue not finishing and especially not that early. 
“I had good speed and I was moving the right way and I got just too stacked up in this double hairpin.
“Anyway, I didn’t make it to the finish again and … 60% of my DNF rate for my entire career has happened at this Olympic Games.
“I didn’t feel pressure there. I mean, there’s always pressure but I didn’t feel … I just felt loose and relaxed, like I knew my plan; focused, good skiing and I was doing it and it still didn’t work.

Several of the athletes will be competing in the mixed team parallel event taking place on Saturday in hopes to claim a medal at the last event of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.