History Made in Women’s Downhill Skiing
Published at
Richard Heathcote/Getty Images(SOCHI, Russia) — For the first time in Winter Olympics history, two gold medals will be awarded in the Women’s Downhill Skiing. Both Tina Maze of Slovenia and Dominique Gisin of Switzerland finished their runs with a time of 1:41.57 seconds, tying for first place.
Gisin was originially in position to win the gold, narrowly edging her countryman Lara Gut (1:41.67) but Maze turned in a run that was — literally — equally impressive. This marks the first time in Winter Olympics history that a tie has occured for a gold medal. In the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, a tie occured for silver in the Men’s Super-G.
This is not the first time in any Olympic games that a first place tie has occured. In the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Austrailia, Americans Gary Hall, Jr. and Anthony Ervin both won gold in the 50 meter freestyle swimming event. Americans Nancy Hogshead and Carrie Steinseifer also tied in the women’s 100 meter freesyle in the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Olympic regulations stipulate that in the case of a tie for first, two gold medals will be awarded but no silver. Therefore, Gut finished third and received a bronze medal for Switzerland.
Maze’s gold is the first medal in the women’s downhill for Slovenia, and the first gold of these Olympics for her country, while Gisin won the first gold in three decades for Switzerland in the event. American Julia Mancuso, who took bronze in the super-combined, finished eighth with a time of 1:42.56 seconds.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio