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Brignone strikes Olympic gold again as Klaebo becomes first to win nine / Photo: Stefano RELLANDINI - AFP
Brignone strikes Olympic gold again as Klaebo becomes first to win nine
Evergreen Italian Federica Brignone won a glorious second gold medal of the Milan-Cortina Games on Sunday as Mikaela Shiffrin faded, while Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Klaebo became the first Winter Olympian in history to win nine gold medals.
Brignone is fast becoming one of the outstanding storylines of these Games as the 35-year-old skier who was on the surgeon's table 10 months ago won her second gold in front of her home fans.
Already the winner of the super-G at these Games, Brignone clocked a combined time of 2min 13.50sec in sparkling weather in Cortina d'Ampezzo to become the first Italian woman skier to win gold in two events at the same Olympics.
In April 2025, she suffered a broken leg after crashing in a race that required extensive surgery.
Mikaela Shiffrin, the 30-year-old American who is the most successful skier in history in World Cup events, faded and could only finish 11th, continuing her fruitless Olympic run that began at the 2022 Beijing Games.
The 30-year-old American came into the Milan-Cortina Olympics in red-hot form in the World Cup but her disappointing performance in the team combined event at these Games cost the Americans a medal and she 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 4x7.5 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 in Tesero.
The 29-year-old overtakes two 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.
Canada's "King of the Moguls" Mikael Kingsbury signed off his Olympic career in style, winning the men's dual moguls to collect his fifth medal at a Winter Games.
The 33-year-old fell marginally behind Ikuma Horishima early in the super final in Livigno but his Japanese opponent lost control, flying over the second jump with no tricks to cross the line first.
Kingsbury, who took silver in the individual event earlier in the Milan-Cortina Games, kept his cool to become the first-ever winner of the men's dual moguls -- the discipline is making its Olympic debut in Italy.
In other action to come on Sunday, the USA men's ice hockey team face Germany in their final pool game, as one of the favourites for gold seek to remain unbeaten and keep their bid for a first Olympic gold since 1980 on track.
The Americans, who are able to line up stars from the National Hockey League at an Olympics for the first time since 2014, were made to fight on Saturday by a battling Denmark team before triumphing 6-3.
A.Jackson--SMC
