The China Mail - 'Imposter' Nef shooting for double Olympic gold

Nef laid down an incredible slalom run to win gold for him and partner Franjo von Allmen in the combined event after the latter, the Olympic downhill champion at these Games, had managed only fourth fastest in the opening descent.

"On a scale from one to 10 the course was a level three of difficulty, so not very hard in terms of line track," Nef said of the combined slalom course.

"I felt I was going fast and I had to keep that speed."

Nef said his goal had not necessarily been to medal in the combined, "but mostly in the individual slalom, so I'm between two worlds".

"I have to continue with this momentum I've built the whole season and concentrate on this race.

"On the other hand, I feel over the moon to be an Olympic champion."

Switzerland have dominated the men's skiing events in Bormio.

Von Allmen won the downhill and also the super-G, his combined gold helping him to a rare record-equalling treble gold in the same Winter Olympics.

He is one of just two other men -- Austria's Toni Sailer at the 1956 Winter Games and France's Jean-Claude Killy in 1968 -- to achieve that feat.

Marco Odermatt and Loic Meillard claimed silver in the team combined, the former also bagging silver in the giant slalom and bronze in the super-G. Meillard took bronze in the giant slalom.

"I had a bit of impostor syndrome!" Nef said of sharing the combined podium with Von Allmen, Odermatt and Meillard.

"I'm with these three stars and I'm also a bit of a fan of the three of them."

- Happy with favourite's tag -

Nef, however, admitted that he would be wearing one of the favourites' shirts come Monday's slalom.

"If I do the same race, definitely. But it will be a different course, different weather," he said.

"I'm sure we are all capable of doing something good. I have a little advantage due to the fact that I already have a medal."

Meillard said there were many racers "who can ski fast. That's really what racing is all about".

Meillard has been part of a male Swiss team that also dominated last year's world championships in Saalbach.

In Bormio, of the 12 medals on offer in the four events to date, the Swiss have won seven: three gold, two silver, two bronze.

"Not just these Games, but the last few years have been crazy for the whole team, for the whole of Switzerland," Meillard said.

"To be part of that moment in time, in the history of the Swiss team, it's crazy.

"It pushes all the athletes to work harder, to be even faster, to enjoy the moment and to try to be as fast as the others.

"To share those moments, those emotions, those memories with the whole staff is something that is pretty special."

Swiss dominance will come under attack from Brazil's Norwegian-born Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, winner of Saturday's giant slalom.

Then comes the Norwegian trio of Henrik Kristoffersen, Atle Lie McGrath and Timon Haugan, the French duo of reigning Olympic champion Clement Noel and Paco Rassat, and Austria's Manuel Feller, a team combined silver medallist here along with Vincent Kriechmayr.

Britain's Dave Ryding, an outsider at 39 years of age, will be aiming for a first podium finish in his fifth and final Olympics.

B.Chan--ThChM