The China Mail - Von Allmen aims for third gold in Olympic super-G

The 24-year-old won Saturday's downhill before combining with Tanguy Nef to claim a second gold in Monday's team combined.

That double success meant Von Allmen became the first Swiss male skier to win two Olympic golds in the history of the Winter Games.

"Two gold medals is crazy," he said after the combined.

"It's incredible. Saturday's downhill was an incredible day for me and the combined again, adding to it together with Tanguy Nef, it's particularly pleasant.

"I think it's also special emotions. The second medal, it's really a dream come true."

When Von Allmen takes to the start hut of the super-G, the second of alpine skiing's speed events, he will also be eyeing a place in the pantheon of Olympic legends.

He has the chance of joining Austrian Toni Sailer and France's Jean-Claude Killy as one of only two male skiers to win three Olympic golds at the same Winter Games. The latter's feat came 58 years ago.

"I'm not too strong in history," Von Allmen said when told of the double golds won by Sailer, in 1956, and Killy, in 1968.

"Of course I would love to win more, but for me to win a third medal, and moreover a third gold medal, all the planets would have to line up.

"The Olympics are not over yet. I will try to put everything into the super-G. We will see what happens there."

- 'Enjoy skiing!' -

The Swiss racer has consistently stressed that his motivation was "fun".

"I have to be very honest, as a boy that was not necessarily my dream to become a winner at the Olympics.

"My secret is to enjoy skiing!" he said. "I was a skier because I really enjoyed it, thoroughly, and that is still today the most important aspect. And it's the most important aspect never to lose: the joy of the sport.

"It has to be in the foreground, be it skiing or any other profession, because you have to do it every day."

While free skiing and enjoyment were key to Von Allmen's early years on skis, he quickly made his name in youth competition, albeit often skipping the prize-giving ceremonies to spend more time on the slopes.

But it was not the be and end all, and unlike many of his teammates, he did not pass through a prestigious ski training school.

Instead, Von Allmen did a four-year apprenticeship in carpentry and the motocross fanatic still spends part of the summer working on construction sites.

It is a background that has kept the skier very grounded.

"I don't really feel like the alpine star here at the Olympics," he said. "I also think I need a little bit more time to put those feelings in a place where they need to be.

"At the moment I can't really imagine what these medals mean to me and to my future, but of course I will take the good things!"

Von Allmen's rivals in the super-G will include teammate Marco Odermatt, who somewhat made up for his disappointing fourth place in the downhill with silver in the combined alongside Loic Meillard.

The four-time World Cup overall winner, who currently tops this season's standings, is the reigning world champion in super-G.

He also won the last super-G to be raced before the Olympics, in Kitzbuehel.

Also in the running for a podium spot will be Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr, who won combined silver along with Manuel Feller after matching the time of Odermatt and Meillard, and the Italian squad led by Giovanni Franzoni and Dominik Paris, silver and bronze medallist in the downhill.

M.Chau--ThChM