Hoefl-Riesch defends super-combined title
Print Edition
Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch put in a skiing masterclass to defend her Olympic super-combined title yesterday as 40-year-old Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen eyed becoming the greatest winter Olympian of all time.
The 29-year-old Hoefl-Riesch, who also claimed the world title in 2013, posted a total time of two minutes 34.62 seconds after one downhill and one slalom run on the tricky course high above the Games’ Sochi hub on the edge of the Black Sea.
She finished ahead of Austria’s Nicole Hosp at 0.40 seconds and American favorite Julia Mancuso, who made a key mistake halfway through the course to finish third at 0.53 seconds despite leading after the downhill.
Hoefl-Riesch had been fifth after the morning’s run on Rosa Khutor mountain, but put in a smooth performance in the slalom — her speciality — to take her third Olympic gold medal after combined and slalom wins in Vancouver in 2010.
“It was a big fight and it wasn’t easy because the snow was tough and bumpy. The hill was steep at the start, which I found especially difficult,” said Hoefl-Riesch.
“It didn’t feel great, but I skied fast enough. I was able to keep my skis going and didn’t break too much in the turns.”
For Mancuso, it was a fourth Olympic medal — the joint-second most for an American woman at the Winter Games.
“To win another medal is just a dream come true,” said Mancuso.
“I dedicate this to my grandpa. He had always encouraged me, but he passed away a year ago. We had hoped he would make it to this Games, but it’s a great feeling that he has been watching from above.”
Bjoerndalen, taking part in his sixth Games, drew level with compatriot Bjorn Daehlie when he clinched a 12th Olympic medal with gold in last Saturday’s 10-kilometer sprint and he will start the 12.5-km later yesterday as favorite.
A 13th medal will confirm the man nicknamed “The Cannibal” as the most successful winter Olympian in history.
“Life is too short to give up. You always need to keep going on. I had some bad years with a lot of problems, but my motivation was never an issue,” said Bjoerndalen.
“I was able to go on and do my training day after day. That was the most important thing and that is probably the reason why I am here today.”
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