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Ivica Kostelić (CRO)
Ivica Kostelić (CRO), Giuliano Razzoli (ITA), Andre Myhrer (SWE)
Ivica Kostelić (CRO)
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Racing: Olympic Games have a silver lining for Kostelić
Two medals from Vancouver
The modest target was one medal. A target that Ivica Kostelić had already achieved in the Super Combined. The Croatian racer can now add another medal to his list of achievements, having won his second silver medal in the Slalom at the Olympic Games in Vancouver. The 30-year-old pulled out all the stops at the Games. Competing in all disciplines, Kostelić was among the favourites in both the Slalom and the Super Combined. He stood up to the pressure from his own country and, after the relief of success on Sunday, then went in search of his next medal. At the end of the race it was a mere 16 hundredths of a second that separated Kostelić from the ultimate Olympic triumph. No regrets for him, however. "I've been through so much in my life, and one thing's for sure: the most important thing in life is not gold, silver or bronze. The colour doesn't matter, it's your health that counts. I've won two medals and both shine beautifully!"
Slalom success was by no means a "piece of cake"
Kostelić climbed up the rankings bit by bit. After fourth place in the first run he stepped up the pace in the second which earned him his second Olympic silver. The podium finish at the Games was by no means a "piece of cake". Kostelić was only 4 hundredths of second behind Raich who was in third place after the first run but trailed the leader Razzoli by 58 hundredths of a second. "It will be difficult to catch up," was what Kostelić had to say between the two legs of the race. And he was right. In a truly thrilling race he skied a virtually perfect second run and came within a hair's breadth of gold. Kostelić continues: "I achieved my goal, though – winning a medal. And now I can take two of them home with me as well!" A delighted Croatian team celebrated its hero, now the proud owner of three silver medals in total from the Olympic Games. But the story does not end here: his long-term plan is to continue his career until 2014 in Sochi (RUS).
Strong performance by Cousineau, Mölgg disappointed
Julien Cousineau showed what he is capable of in front of his home crowd. His performance was sensational, especially in the second run. Back in 18th place after the first leg because of a mistake, the Quebec based Canadian then shot to eighth place with the second fastest time and a demonstration of talent and strong nerves. Regrettably, Manfred Mölgg (ITA) will be leaving the Games without any medals to his name, despite having had realistic chances of a medal in both Slalom and Giant Slalom. At the end he missed out on the podium by 69 hundredths of a second and finished the race in seventh place. "It's quite tough of course, but I will simply focus on the future. You can't force something like this," says the South Tyrolean.
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