OLYMPICS: Alpine skiing-Medals are also good for sharing, Norwegian and Swedish rivals agree

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy – Sweden and Norway have long been fierce rivals on snow and ice, but at the Milano Cortina Olympics on Sunday, Alpine skiers Sara Hector of Sweden and Thea Louise Stjernesund of Norway showed that sometimes the best moments are meant to be shared.

The two athletes set exactly the same time in the first run of the women’s giant slalom – and repeated the feat in the second run – earning a shared silver medal behind Italian winner and double gold medalist Federica Brignone.

“One in a million,” Hector, the Beijing 2022 gold medalist, said of the rare occurrence.

After a three-way tie for the lead in the first run, Hector and Stjernesund shared the leader’s seat with Italian-born Lara Colturi, who races for Albania, until Brignone delivered a commanding performance. In the second run, the pair again waited together, anticipating Brignone’s final time.

“I remember Sara asked me after the second run, ‘Did you feel as bad as I did?’” Stjernesund recalled with a smile. “And I was like, yeah. We not only skied the same but shared the same feeling. In a way, it was like us against the others.”

Hector added that sharing the silver medal was special, and the pair even knelt together on the snow at the medal ceremony in playful homage to Brignone, who dominated the Olimpia delle Tofane slope.

“We win together, for sure,” Hector said. “Feelings are better when they are shared.”

With this result, Sweden and Norway each have one medal in Alpine skiing at the games. In cross-country skiing, where the rivalry is even stronger, Norway leads thanks to its dominance in the men’s events.

“In Alpine skiing, it’s very much about camaraderie… we have such a nice atmosphere here,” Hector said.

-Reporting by Alan Baldwin/Reuters