Carlo Janka roars to giant slalom Olympic gold

Alpine Skiing Vancouver 2010 Post a comment

Posted: Tuesday 23rd February 2010 | 22:52

SWITZERLAND'S Carlo Janka has finally showed his true colours at Vancouver 2010, adding giant slalom Olympic gold to his world title to send cowbells chiming in Whistler.

SWISS TIMING: Carlo Janka wins Switzerland's second alpine skiing gold medal of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics with giant slalom gold (Getty Images)

Janka thundered to gold to reach the Olympic podium for the first time, extending his slender lead at the halfway point with a blistering second outing.

The 23-year-old arrived in Vancouver as a hot favourite for multiple medals but prior to today, all he had to show for it was a fourth-place finish in the super combined.

But Janka set the record straight as he glided to giant slalom gold, edging out Norway's Kjetil Jansrud, who held a surprise lead with just one competitor remaining, while Aksel Lund Svindal continued his fine form to take bronze.

"You must always take a lot of risk to win. I had no mistakes from the top to the finish," said Janka, dubbed the Iceman.

"It is fantastic to be an Olympic champion. I'm just 23 years old so it is just amazing."

In the opening three alpine competitions in Whistler, the Swiss big names had disappointed. Didier Defago clinched downhill gold but Didier Cuche and Janka had flattered to deceive.

But with perfect Swiss timing, Janka romped home clinched victory and end Austria's 12-year monopoly on giant slalom gold.

An imperious opening run of 1:17.27 was followed up by a flawless giant slalom display, in his second, for a combined time of 2:37.83 - much to the delight of the strong Swiss contingent at Whistler Creekside.

But if it has taken the Swiss a while to set the 2010 Games alight, Austria have been positively pitiful.

Mario Scheiber's fourth place in the downhill was all the alpine giants had mustered in Whistler and again they were found wanting.

Defending champion Benjamin Raich was placed sixth after the first run but hooked his arm through a gate, knocking him off balance and throwing his concentration, leaving him unable to improve on his standing after the second.

And Romed Baumann was second after the first run, but in deteriorating conditions, he fell away out of the medals and ended up fifth.

Svindal meanwhile, once again, showed his quality to claim his third medal of the Games and complete his set after downhill silver and super-G gold.

Earlier, Bode Miller's bid to become the first person to medal in four alpine skiing events came to an end on Tuesday as he skied out of the first run.

The American maverick has claimed downhill bronze, super-G silver and super combined gold but was well down on the leaders before missing a gate halfway down the course.

That ensured that for the first time at these Games, after seven alpine skiing events, an American has failed to reach the podium with World Cup leader Ted Ligety's ninth-place finish their best effort.

Great Britain's Andy Noble, who like team-mate Dave Ryding was making his Olympic debut, finished 36th after the two runs of giant slalom 7.02 seconds behind Janka.

"Conditions were a bit tougher for the second run. I was just happy to be in the finish and to have skied reasonably," said Noble.

"There's a healthy competition between the British skiers. We're friends, we cheer each other on and we're proud of each other."

Ed Drake finished just behind Noble in 37th after climbing from 43rd place after the first..

"I gave it a good shot on my second run. I didn't really have anything to lose," said Drake.

"This is where the top of the top are and where the best of the best show their stuff. It's a good example to us and to the rest of the Brits where we want to be.

"This was a bonus race for me. I've done my main races, so I could relax a bit more and enjoy it today."

Ryding meanwhile, ended the day in 47th, two places higher than his position at the halfway mark..

"I skied really well after hitting a gate at the top of the second run, but it was a bit too late," he said. "Hopefully this will be a springboard for the future. I should be at my peak in four or eight years. There's no reason why I can't challenge the big boys, but just not today."