Winter Olympics

Alcott: 19th place is a gold medal for me

ESPN staff

February 12, 2014

Chemmy Alcott recovered from a third broken leg last year © Getty Images

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Great Britain's Chemmy Alcott could only manage 19th position in the women's downhill skiing at the Winter Olympics, as history was made when the gold medal was shared between Dominique Gisin and Tina Maze.

Alcott, competing at her fourth Olympics, was almost two seconds off the top in what is to be her final outing at the Winter Games, with Switzerland's Gisin and Slovenia's Maze clocking an identical time of one minute and 41.57seconds. And the result meant the pair had become the first athletes to share the gold medal in the women's downhill skiing.

Despite finishing low down on the leaderboard in Sochi, Alcott was pleased with her efforts, having recovered from a third broken leg last year.

"To come and be 19th, less than two seconds off on the toughest downhill I've ever skied, it's up there," she said.

"I know that sounds crazy to some people because we've got a strong Team GB and we're going to win loads of medals here. [But] to come to my fourth Olympics, 19th is a gold for me. Anyone who's followed what I've been through will understand that."

Meanwhile, Great Britain's women suffered their second defeat in three matches in the curling event after losing 9-6 to Canada in a fiercely-contested battle.

Britain's Eve Muirhead took on a high-risk shot on the very last stone, as she attempted to clear three stones from their opponents in pushing out for the win, but instead handed victory to Canada as she refused to take the option of sliding her final stone near the unguarded centre for two points for a draw to take the tie into another end.

Team GB are currently in seventh in the table having won just one of their games so far. After nine games the top four nations will head into the semi-finals.

There were no such problems for the men's team though, as Britain beat Switzerland 4-2 to move into fourth place in the table and in position to qualify for the semi-finals. They next play the United States tomorrow.