MERIBEL, France — Norwegian skiers collected three of the six medals in the individual parallel events at the Alpine skiing world championships on Wednesday.
Maria Therese Tviberg of Norway and Alexander Schmid of Germany won gold in the women’s and men’s races, respectively.
Tviberg beat Wendy Holdener of Switzerland in the women’s final and Schmid beat Dominik Raschner of Austria in the men’s final.
Norwegians earned bronze in both events, with Thea Louise Stjernesund finishing third in the women’s event and Timon Haugan in the men’s event.
“We train it every year. Not everybody prepares for it,” Tviberg said. “We think every medal counts and we try to go for it.”
Norway also finished second to the United States in the team parallel race on Tuesday, having won the world title two years ago — to go with team event bronzes at the last two Olympics.
Individual parallel races are not on the Olympic program. The team parallel event has been cut from the Olympics.
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Tviberg cried after the semifinal when she realized she had earned the first individual podium result of her career, then threw her white gloves into the air after the final.
“It’s really emotional for me,” she said.
Holdener earned her second silver of the competition, having also finished second in the combined race that opened worlds.
Stjernesund took the bronze when local favorite Marie Lamure of France lost her left ski midway down in the small final.
Schmid helped Germany to the silver medal in the team event at last year’s Beijing Olympics and was on the team that took bronze at the last worlds, when he finished fourth in the individual parallel.
Four of Schmid’s five World Cup podium results have also come in either individual or team parallel.
He became the first German man to win a world skiing title since Hansjörg Tauscher of West Germany won gold in downhill in 1989.
“I’m really proud of myself,” Schmid said.
Racers took a rope tow back up to the finish after each of their runs in the four-round, direct elimination event.
Americans River Radamus and Nina O’Brien, who were part of the winning U.S. team on Tuesday, were eliminated in the first round.
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