One race, three winners: the historic giant slalom in Sölden

On October 26, 2002, history was made at the giant slalom World Cup race in Sölden, Austria, when three skiers finished with identical times. Tina Maze of Slovenia, Andrine Flemmen of Norway, and Nicole Hosp of Austria all recorded a time of one minute, 49 seconds, and 91 hundredths of a second. This unprecedented result meant that all three athletes shared the victory. The race took place under irregular conditions due to severe wind gusts that occasionally exceeded 100 kilometers per hour. These weather conditions were cited by participants as a factor in the unusual outcome. Nicole Hosp, who was 18 years old at the time, entered her sixth World Cup start having previously achieved a best finish of 29th place. After finishing 11th in the first run, she delivered a strong performance in the second leg. An ARD reporter described her driving style during this run as resembling windsurfing rather than skiing. As she crossed the finish line, the timing board displayed her name in first position. Shortly after, 19-year-old Tina Maze completed her run, crossing the line with the exact same time as Hosp. Both names appeared simultaneously at the top of the leaderboard. The tension continued until the final competitor, Andrine Flemmen, reached the bottom of the course. Flemmen, who had won the Sölden race four years prior, also posted a time identical to the other two women. Consequently, the podium featured three winners instead of the standard configuration. Sonja Nef, the reigning world champion, finished in sixth place. She acknowledged the irregular nature of the race but accepted the results, noting that skiing is an outdoor sport subject to such variables. This specific incident marked the first time in ski racing history that three athletes shared a win in a single event. Three and a half years later, a similar occurrence happened in the super-G at Hafjell, Norway. In that race, Nadia Styger, Lindsey Vonn, and Michaela Dorfmeister also tied for first place. Kelly Vanderbeek missed the tie for gold by just one hundredth of a second. The Sölden victory served as a launching point for the careers of both Hosp and Maze. For Flemmen, it was her third and final World Cup win. Hosp went on to win the overall World Cup title, become a giant slalom world champion, collect numerous medals, and secure 12 individual World Cup victories. Maze’s career proved even more decorated. She also claimed the overall World Cup crown, became a double Olympic gold medalist in 2014, and won four world championship titles. With 26 total World Cup wins, Maze joined the exclusive group of skiers who have stood atop the podium in all five disciplines. In a separate recent development involving the same venue, Brazilian skier Lucas Braathen won the giant slalom in Sölden. He defeated Swiss competitors Loic Meillard and Marco Odermatt by nearly half a second. This victory marked his second win on the Rettenbach glacier, following his triumph there in 2020 while representing Norway. During his post-race interview with ORF, Braathen expressed embarrassment when footage of his girlfriend, actress Isadora Cruz, kissing him was shown on screen. Cruz, 28, attended the race for the first time and celebrated his win with tears and affection. Braathen stated that the moment was not intended for television broadcast. Braathen and Cruz began their relationship in early 2025 and appeared together publicly for the first time in Kitzbuhel that summer. The skier has relocated his off-season training to Brazil to accommodate their partnership. He noted that while he originally planned to move there after retiring from professional skiing, circumstances led them to settle there earlier. His unconventional preparation schedule has not hindered his success, as he has secured four consecutive giant slalom victories, including an Olympic gold medal. Cruz will continue to accompany him to races this winter, as filming for her series Coracao Acelerado has concluded.