WINTER OLYMPICS: France's Carole Montillet stunned the women's downhill favourites and powered to one of the most emotional victories of the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City yesterday in a time of one minute 39.56 seconds.
Italy's Isolde Kostner, a bronze medallist in 1994 and one of the favourites after a winning start to the winter, picked up the silver in 1:40.01 while Austrian favourite Renate Goetschl took bronze in 1:40.39.
American Picabo Street, the former world champion making her last Olympic appearance and possibly even racing for the last time, gave her all before a fired-up home crowd but finished out of the top 10.
The day was Montillet's, a winner whose achievement was the most fitting tribute imaginable to her fallen team-mate Regine Cavagnoud.
Montillet, mother figure for a team grieving over the death of the super-G world champion last October, set aside the frustration of repeated weather delays to become France's first women's Olympic downhill champion.
The 28-year-old, who has not won all season but has been a wise counsellor for her team-mates since Cavagnoud died in a training accident, laid down an unbeatable time on the Wildflower piste.
Starting 11th, she waited anxiously at the finish as rival after rival failed to match her speed. When Goetschl, 15th out of the start house, came down outside her time the Frenchwoman allowed herself a smile and waved at fans while the Austrian showed her anger at herself.
World champion Michaela Dorfmeister, Goetschl's team-mate, could make no impression either and was out of the top eight.
Germany's Hilde Gerg, the reigning Olympic slalom champion who now concentrates on the speed events after a big crash made the more technical disciplines too painful, finished an agonising fourth.
The start was delayed for more than two hours due to gusting winds, a situation made all the more frustrating for racers waiting at the start hut on what seemed a perfect day after Monday's postponement.
The Wildflower piste was bathed in brilliant sunlight and there was barely a cloud in the deep blue sky as Slovenian Spela Bracun finally shoved out of the starting gate.
There was immediate drama as American Caroline Lalive, taking the bib number two that Street was supposed to have had on Monday before the race was postponed due to high winds, skidded out while on for a fast time.
Montillet's win was as surprising as it was emotional. She had placed 14th at the last Olympic downhill in Nagano four years ago and had only ever won one World Cup event - a super-G in Germany last year.
Montillet had been overshadowed by her great friend Cavagnoud in the last few seasons.
The win was the first for the French in women's Olympic downhill compared to five for Germany, four for Austria and Switzerland and one for Canada.
ALPINE SKIING
Women's downhill: 1. C Montillet (France) 1 minute 39.56 seconds 2. I Kostner (Italy) 1:40.01 3. R Goetschl (Austria) 1:40.39.
BIATHLON
Women's 15km Final: 1 A Henkel (Ger) 47:29.1, 2 L Grete Poiree (Nor) 47:37.0, 3 M Forsberg (Swe) 48:08.3.
Men's 20km: 1 O Einar Bjoerndalen (Nor) 51:03.3, 2 F Luck (Ger) 51:39.4, 3 V Maigourov (Rus) 51:40.6.
ICE SKATING
Pairs final: 1 E Berezhnaya & A Sikharulidze (Rus) 1.5; 2 J Sale & D Pelletier (Can) 3.0, 3 X Shen & H Zhao (Chn) 4.5.
LUGE
Men's Singles: 1 A Zoeggeler (Ita) 2mins 57.941secs, 2 G Hackl (Ger) 2:58.270, 3 M Prock (Aut) 2:58.283.
SNOWBOARDING
Men's Halfpipe: 1 R Powers (US) 46.1pts, 2 D Kass (US) 42.5, 3 J Thomas (US) 42.1.
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