Just 10 months earlier, a disturbing video had shocked the world, and it seemed like the end was near for the great Federica Brignone. The 35-year-old veteran returned to the track after two surgeries on her left leg and took what her nickname, the Tigress, deserves - two Olympic gold medals.
After the super-giant, Brinjone also celebrated in the giant slalom, managing to maintain a large lead from the first run and delighting Italy - 2:13,50 minutes.
Silver medals, unrecorded - with identical times in the first and second runs, were earned by Norwegian Thea Luiza Stjernesund and Swedish Sara Hektor, each 0,62 seconds behind.
Hector won gold in giant slalom at the previous Winter Olympics, and Brignione won silver.
American Mikaela Shiffrin, who holds on to her Sochi gold in the slalom and victory in the giant slalom in Pyongyang, failed again. She was 11th today, 0,92 seconds behind.
Brinjone repeated the success of Alberto Tomba, the only skier from Italy with two gold medals at a single Winter Olympics. Italy has already repeated its best result with 20 medals, seven gold, and the Games end on February 22nd.
Johannes Klebo is the absolute champion at the Winter Olympics, at the 25th in Milan and Cortina - the legendary Norwegian Nordic skier has won four gold medals, nine in total, and is first on the all-time list.
Nordic skiers Bjorn Dali, Marit Bjergen and biathlete Ole Einar Bjorndalen were left behind with eight gold medals each.
Kleb left the 4X7,5 kilometer relay team with a big lead, so he didn't even tire in the last inning and will be ready for two more golds. He doesn't hide that he's aiming for six out of six, after a surprising triumph in the individual start.
The French relay team won silver, and Italy entered the final heat 21 seconds behind Finland, and it seemed like the medals were shared...
Veteran Federico Pellegrino didn't think so, he fought like a lion and with the frenetic support and ovations of the audience, the popular 35-year-old Ćiko managed to make the team happy, bringing Italy a medal after the Winter Olympics in Turin 20 years ago.
In the biathlon, the 12,5 kilometer pursuit, a surprise - Swede Martin Ponsiluoma won, ahead of the legendary Norwegian Sturla Lagrejd and Frenchman Emilien Jacquelin.
The Frenchman was leading, heading for gold, but the best shooter in biathlon allowed two misses in the final round. Extra rounds gave Ponsiluoma a chance, who hit all 15 targets for his first Olympic gold.
The inimitable Canadian Mikael Kingsbury will retire from sports after winning gold in freestyle skiing - mogul
It is a cross-country skiing format on an uneven track and with jumps, and Kingsbury was directly competing for gold with Japanese Ikuma Horishima, who made a mistake in the finish and failed to keep up with the speed of the icon of that sport.
This is Kingsbury's second gold medal, after 2018. He also has silver at these games in Milan and Cortina, and has 100 victories at the World Cup. In the small final, Australian Matt Graham earned bronze.
The second giant slalom series starts at 1:30 PM, after the first one, led by the Tigress - Federica Brinjone, who returned to the snow in January after a serious injury and celebrated in the super-gi.
After skiing, six more sets of medals will be awarded today, and Nika Prevc will enter the final series in the diving event after 20 p.m.
A spectacle is also expected at 17 p.m. in speed skating and a new "fiery showdown" between Dutch women Juta Leerdam and Femke Kok.
Bonus video:
