Michaela on top of the world after crowning career
The 32-year-old Austrian claimed the Olympic women’s downhill title by finishing 0.37 seconds ahead of Swiss Martina Schild with bronze going to Sweden’s Anja Paerson.
The former world champion and World Cup winner wept with joy in the winner’s box then confirmed her earlier statement that the current season would be her last.
Dorfmeister said: “The decision is final and this will definitely be my last season. That was probably the secret for my very relaxed and cool skiing.
“I had none of those self-doubts that had bothered me in previous races. I was totally positive and when I saw the margin I thought, ‘wow, this gives me a chance for a medal’.”
Dorfmeister missed out on Olympic super-g gold in 1998 by an agonising 0.1 seconds as she had to settle for silver behind Picabo Street.
But worsening conditions favoured those with a higher draw, and with reigning champion Carole Montillet-Carles not threatening after a training crash, Dorfmeister’s win was in little doubt.
Dorfmeister added: “Every hundredth of a second is important and I was thinking of Nagano. It is understandable your knees should tremble when you are waiting for the results.”
Defending men’s ice hockey champions Canada survived an early scare to see off hosts Italy in front of a partisan crowd at Palasport Olimpico, as the Canadians ran out 7-2 winners.
The Canadians were playing their first game of the Games just 24 hours after arriving, but showed few signs of jetlag as they wrapped up victory.
Austrian brothers Andreas and Wolfgang Linger claimed the Olympic luge doubles title one year after crashing on the same track.
Wolfgang sustained serious leg injuries in an Olympic test event, last year, that saw so many falls it eventually had to be cancelled.
Germans Andre Florschuetz and Torsten Wustlich won silver ahead of home favourites Gerhard Plankensteiner and Oswald Haselrieder, who gained two places on the second run.
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