Dominique Gisin and Tina Maze made history in the women’s downhill skiing by becoming the first athletes ever to share Winter Olympics gold.
Switzerland’s Gisin made the early running, clocking one minute, 41.57 seconds, before Slovenia’s Maze recorded exactly the same time in Sochi.
Great Britain’s Chemmy Alcott, competing at her fourth Winter Games, finished in 19th place, nearly two seconds off the pace.
Another Swiss, Lara Gut, finished 0.10 seconds adrift to clinch bronze.
The last time a women’s Olympic skiing medal was shared was in Albertville in 1992, when American Diann Roffe and Austria’s Anita Wachter took silver in the slalom.
Hans Knauss and Didier Cuche shared silver in men’s super-G at Nagano in 1998.
Gisin, 28, raced in the downhill in Vancouver but failed to finish in her only previous Olympic experience, while Maze, 30, won silver in both the super-G and giant slalom four years ago.
“I’m completely overwhelmed,” said Gisin, who has never finished better than third in a World Cup downhill.
“I didn’t want to look at the big screens. It’s crazy. There was a lot of nerves, a lot of sweat, lot of emotions.
“It was lonely there in the leader’s box. It’s incredible, how else can I say it? It’s a big honour to share the gold with Tina, she’s an amazing woman. This is awesome.
“I’m not going to make a huge party. I have two more chances. When you know you can win more medals as an athlete, one is never enough, even if it’s gold.”
Alcott, who recovered from a career-threatening double leg break in 2010 and another fracture last year to compete in Russia, clocked 1:43.43.
The 31-year-old’s previous best at the Games was 11th in both the downhill at Turin 2006 and the super combined in Vancouver four years ago, where she also finished 13th in the downhill.
“You get two minutes to show everyone what you have done for the last four years,” said Alcott, who will compete in Saturday’s super-G.
“A top-20 finish after what I’ve been through is amazing justice. It was not pretty, but to finish less than two [seconds] out in an Olympic downhill – I’m swelling with pride.”
Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch, who won the super combined on Monday, struggled for pace on the sun-softened course above Rosa Khutor and finished 13th.
Austrian Anna Fenniger, another pre-race favourite in the absence of defending champion Lindsey Vonn, did not finish, while Austrian Nicole Hosp and American Julia Mancuso, second and third in the combined, came ninth and eighth respectively.
“I am disappointed with my skiing, I made some big mistakes,” said Mancuso. It’s tough and really difficult to stay focused on the whole run, but that’s what separates the champions from the rest of us on race day.”
