Sara Hector entered the giant slalom competition as the reigning Olympic champion. But Italian Federica Brignone - who won the super-G just last Thursday - was no match for anyone. She won the gold by a margin of 62 hundredths of a second.
It was even closer between Hector and Norwegian Thea Louise Stjernesund. The two skiers had the same time after the first run - and also after the second.
“I don’t understand”
"I get to share the medal with dear Sara. What are the odds? I almost don't understand it. But it's very fun to share the medal," Stjernesund said to SVT.
"It was one in a million. 'That's not true, how crazy!' I thought. I've never been this close with anyone in my entire life."
Hector and Stjernesund hugged and laughed. They mostly looked like two old school friends who had run into each other abroad.
There was no question of any Swedish-Norwegian rivalry.
It was really cool to do that. So, Thea isn't a teammate, but it's still kind of close. We can speak the same language, we've been together for many years and she's a really lovely girl.
"The rivalry thing is more about length and something you (the media) paint a bit. In alpine skiing, people are kind to each other, supportive, have fun and are happy for each other."
When Hector crossed the finish line, her gut feeling wasn't good.
"When I did my second run, I thought it was over. I didn't have a good flow and I ended up with negative thoughts," said Hector.
"I was very nervous the first run. Not like in Beijing, but I was a little taken by the moment. It's easy to become a little passive then, which I was too."
"Inhuman"
In Beijing 2022, Hector won the Olympic gold medal ahead of runner-up Brignone. Now the order has been reversed. It was uncertain for a long time whether Brignone, after a complicated knee injury, would even start in the Olympic competitions.
Now the host nation has two Olympic gold medals.
"The journey she's been on is incredible. She's so strong to do this, it's crazy. Yeah, I'm so impressed with her. I don't think people understand how much it takes mentally to do it," said Hector.
When Brignone then reached the finish line after the gold run, the silver medalists chose to bow to the winner.
"She is completely inhuman. What is in her pasta anyway? I want some of the same," said Stjernesund.
Born: September 4, 1992 in Sandviken.
Merits: Olympics: Gold in giant slalom 2022, silver in giant slalom 2026. World Championships: Silver in team 2021, bronze in team 2025. World Cup: 28 individual podiums (25 in giant slalom, 3 in slalom) of which 8 victories (all in giant slalom).
2026: Silver: Sara Hector (giant slalom).
2022: Gold: Sara Hector (giant slalom).
2018: Gold: André Myhrer (slalom), Frida Hansdotter (slalom).
2010: Bronze: André Myhrer (slalom), Anja Pärson (super combined).
2006: Gold: Anja Pärson (slalom). Bronze: Anja Pärson (downhill and combined), Anna Ottosson (giant slalom).
2002: Silver: Anja Pärson (giant slalom). Bronze: Anja Pärson (slalom).
1998: Silver: Pernilla Wiberg (downhill).
1994: Gold: Pernilla Wiberg (combination).
1992: Gold: Pernilla Wiberg (giant slalom).
1988: Bronze: Lars-Börje Eriksson (super-G).
1980: Gold: Ingemar Stenmark (slalom and giant slalom).
1976: Bronze: Ingemar Stenmark (giant slalom).
1956: Bronze: Stig Sollander (slalom).
