Alpine skiing-Swiss men dominate with record eight-medal haul, Pinheiro Braathen brings samba to Stelvio

BORMIO, Italy, Feb 17 : The longest and loudest apres-ski parties in Bormio during the Olympic men's Alpine skiing programme were to be found at the Swiss House and for good reason during a record-breaking 10 days for the nation's dominant team.

Switzerland scooped four of the five gold medals on offer and bagged eight medals in all, three more than their previous best, as Franjo von Allmen announced himself as the nation's latest superstar.

But for Norway-born Brazilian Lucas Pinheiro Braathen's historic giant slalom victory it would have been a clean sweep.

"Most likely, we’re living in a golden era in Switzerland, with so many athletes who can perform," said Loic Meillard, who crowned it with the slalom title on Monday. "We have to see that we are very lucky. And we have to make the best out of this time because there will be a day when it will change.”

Talisman Marco Odermatt had been expected to lead Switzerland's assault on the fabled Stelvio slope that provided a fitting stage for the action, but the 28-year-old four-time World Cup overall champion was left in the shade by young gun Von Allmen, albeit still returning home with three medals.

Odermatt badly wanted the Olympic downhill title but could not match the pace of Von Allmen down the brutal 3.2-km track, finishing off the podium in fourth place.

The 24-year-old Von Allmen became the fifth Swiss man to win the Olympic downhill title, edging out Italian Giovanni Franzoni, while veteran Dominik Paris grabbed an emotional bronze in his final Games.

Von Allmen was at it again two days later although he needed a considerable amount of help from Tanguy Nef whose sparkling slalom run clinched more Swiss gold in the new-format team combined, with Odermatt and partner