Didier Defago, Switzerland, winner of the 2010 Olympics gold medal in downhill skiing

Didier Defago (stock photo, Swiss Ski 2009)

Vancouver, BC, Canada (GenevaLunch) - Didier Defago Monday evening Swiss time has won a second gold medal for Switzerland in the men’s downhill race at Whistler Mountain in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, after Simon Ammann Saturday 13 February in ski jumping. Defago, from Morgins, was until recently not even sure he’d make the cut for the Swiss team. The 32-year-old gives Switzerland its first Olympic gold in the downhill event since Pirmin Zurbriggen won in Calgary in 1988.

In the 2008-2009 season Defago won impressive back-to-back wins at Wengen and Kitzbuehel, two of the toughest runs on the World Cup circuit. He won with a time of 1:54.31.

Defago is a close friend of another Swiss sports winner, Roger Federer.

Didier Cuche, the current world number one and the favourite to win the race, came in sixth, after losing a lot of time in the final sector, for a time of 1:54.67.

Silver was taken by Aksel Lund Svindal, Norway, with 1:54.38 and bronze by Bode Miller, USA, 1:54.40.

The other Swiss hopeful, Carlo Janka, came in 11th at 1:52.02.

Links to other sites: Didier Defago site, Vancouver Games on Mother Nature and ski racing, TSR (Fre), wikipedia

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