Gisin and Maze share downhill gold

Dominique Gisin and Tina Maze made Winter Olympics history in the women’s downhill as they shared the gold medal in Sochi.

Switzerland’s Gisin and Slovenian Maze both recorded a time of one minute, 41.57 seconds at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center to become the first athletes to share the top of the podium in the Winter Games.

Gisin was the first to set the benchmark before Maze matched her, with another Swiss, Laura Gut, earning bronze after finishing 0.10 seconds adrift of the pair.

Maze was one of the pre-race favourites for gold in the absence of injured Vancouver 2010 champion Lindsay Vonn.

“I have no words. This doesn’t feel real. I will have to see my team to get myself together and realise how much this means to us,” Maze, who claimed silver in the Super-G and giant slalom four years ago, said.

“I have been dreaming about this since I was little.

“The first ski race I ever won in my life was a downhill, so before I went down the track today I said to myself, ’This has to be it. I can do it’, and I just went for it.”

The soft conditions were just right for 28-year-old Gisin, who competed in the downhill in Vancouver but failed to finish the race.

“This is incredible. I am overwhelmed with emotions,” she said.

“I am so happy – what a day. I don’t think I even dreamt about this. Now that I have won, I am living the dream, but this is better than dreaming.”

Maria Hoefl-Riesch triumphed in the super combined earlier this week and was another tipped to do well on Wednesday, but the German could only finish 13th, while 2010 silver medallist Julia Mancuso finished eighth.