"Coming into the final run of the men's slalom, the Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath knew that victory was there for the taking until he straddled a gate. Gold was gone. A heartbroken McGrath who had hoped to deliver victory in honour of his grandfather who died on the day of the opening ceremony threw his poles as far as he could and trudged across the slope into the woods. TV footage then captured him lying on his back,"
"It meant that Loic Meillard became Switzerland's first men's Olympic slalom champion since 1948 with a combined time of 1min 53.61sec although he had a few words for McGrath. Loic Meillard on his way to gold on Monday. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian Atle Lie would have deserved it as well, he was the best skier this season, but that's part of slalom, that's part of sport, he said after edging Fabio Gstrein of Austria by 0.35sec, while Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway took bronze."
Atle Lie McGrath straddled a gate on the final run of the men's slalom, losing a near-certain victory and collapsing in disappointment on the slope. Loic Meillard claimed Switzerland's first men's Olympic slalom gold since 1948 with a combined time of 1min 53.61sec, edging Fabio Gstrein by 0.35sec, while Henrik Kristoffersen took bronze. Meillard acknowledged McGrath's season form and framed the result as part of slalom and sport. British skier Dave 'Rocket' Ryding retired after finishing 17th, calling time on a career that rose from a 50m dry-ski slope in Pendle to making him Britain's greatest skier.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]