Broken bones, surgeries, rehab and stinging losses: Resilience and a never-give-up attitude following a series of physical and mental challenges paid off on Tuesday for the US’ Nina O’Brien, Tommy Ford, Paula Moltzan and River Radamus at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships — all the way to gold in the team event.
O’Brien had to endure four surgeries after a gruesome compound fracture at the Beijing Winter Olympics that left her bone protruding from her left leg.
Ford had a concussion, and damaged ligaments and the meniscus in his right knee, broke his tibial plateau and hurt his wrist during a devastating crash on the famed giant slalom course in Adelboden, Switzerland, two years ago.
Photo: AP
Moltzan competed for most of last season with a broken left hand, while Radamus kept on pushing after just missing the podium with three fourth-place results at big events — in giant slalom and the team event in Beijing and again in combined at the worlds last week.
The four Americans teamed up to edge defending champions Norway 3-2 in the final and each earn their first senior-level gold medal.
“We’ve all gone through the ringer a bit,” Ford said. “We heal up and we can still ski and really I’m grateful to be here, and I think everyone else is, too.”
Photo: AP
Ford won the final decisive run when Timon Haugan got stuck at the start.
“I didn’t see him out of the corner of my eye,” Ford said. “I knew he was fast, so I was just like, something must have happened, but I wasn’t going to let up at all.”
Canada beat Olympic champions Austria for the bronze medal.
The event featured teams of two men and two women, with four runs of parallel racing in each round.
The US beat Poland, Italy and Canada to reach the final.
It had been 2-2 in the final after Moltzan and Thea Louise Stjernesund finished in a tie in the penultimate heat.
Moltzan broke her left hand again in her final run, damaging three fingers.
“Paula gave absolutely everything on that run. It was pretty inspiring,” Radamus said. “Then for Tommy to have to clutch up in the end there, I think he’s so steady, always so even keel, doesn’t let the moment get to him, and he was able to execute and perform there, which is really cool.”
O’Brien won the opening heat of the final against Kristin Lysdahl.
“Being here at the world championships was a big goal of mine,” O’Brien said. “But getting to celebrate and share today with our team is just something special I never expected.”
Alexander Steen Olsen of Norway narrowly edged Radamus.
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