Viletta, who had only one World Cup win and podium so far, won with a combined time of two minutes 45.20 seconds, after one downhill and one slalom run. PHOTO: AFP
Switzerland’s Sandro Viletta won the men’s Olympic super-combined on Friday topping a shock podium that included neither favourites Ted Ligety of the US or Frenchman Alexis Pinturault.
The 28-year-old, who had only one World Cup win and podium so far, won with a combined time of two minutes 45.20 seconds, after one downhill and one slalom run.
Croatian veteran Ivica Kostelic was second at 0.34sec, bagging his fourth Olympic silver and third in the combined.
He preceded Italy’s Christof Innerhofer at 0.47sec, who takes his second medal at these Winter Games after downhill silver on Sunday.
The result turned all predictions upside down as combined world champion Ligety and young gun Pinturault failed to even make the top 10 in the Valentine’s Day race.
The two skiers had each won one super-combined race this World Cup season.
Dario the great reigns supreme in Sochi
Switzerland’s Dario Cologna won his second gold of the Sochi Olympics and underlined his supremacy in cross country skiing with a dominant performance in the men’s 15km classic.
After a steady start, Cologna took the time trial race by the scruff of the neck from the middle section and was able to punch the air in triumph as he crossed the line.
He finished in 38min 29.7sec, a colossal 28.5sec ahead of his nearest challenger Johan Olsson of Sweden who took silver. Daniel Richardsson, also of Sweden, won the bronze in 39min 8.5sec.
Cologna said his triumphs in Sochi were particularly special after he tore a ligament in his ankle in November, which forced him to miss a crucial training period.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “I couldn’t believe the first gold medal, after being injured, and now the second. It was the perfect race.”
On another note, a host of Olympic freestyle skiing training sessions in Sochi had to be cancelled on Friday due to unseasonably high temperatures.
With temperatures reaching 15 degrees Celsius, the International Ski Federation decided to call off the first ski cross training session in the early afternoon.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2014.
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