Alpine skiing-Childhood friends and longtime rivals join forces in new team combined race

BORMIO, Italy, Feb 9 : Old rivals and childhood friends alike paired up to gun for Olympic glory on Monday in the debut of the new men's Alpine skiing team combined event.

The Austrians crossed their fingers, the Swiss hugged, and the Finns leaped into each other's arms at the end of the two-stage, two-person competition, which began with one participating in a downhill race in the morning and finished with the other going in the slalom run in the afternoon.

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS ON ONE TEAM

Childhood friends and teammates Kyle Negomir and River Radamus, who competed for the U.S., said they had never had the chance to ski as a team before.

"Me and River have grown up skiing together. I've been getting beat by this dude for the last 10 years of my life,” Negomir said after they finished second last in the event.

"I was probably more nervous than I was for my own racing," he added about watching his friend race the slalom leg later in the day.

Radamus found the experience equally powerful.

"I sat out here and I watched him on the first run and I was sort of moved because he skied so hard,” he said. "We've pushed each other for years now. So getting to race for my brother and for my country is a really special moment."

LONGTIME RIVALS WIN SILVER TOGETHER

World Cup leader Marco Odermatt crossed his fingers and let out a big sigh ahead of Swiss teammate Loic Meillard’s slalom run before meeting his countryman at the finish with a hug. 

"We're always competing against each other, with Marco, fighting for top spots on the (giant slalom)," Meillard said of their battles in the discipline where they usually race individually.

There was bitter disappointment for the Italian pair, however, as Alex Vinatzer missed out on a golden opportunity to