- Title: ITALY: French fans celebrate Olympic gold in downhill.
- Date: 15th February 2006
- Summary: SESTRIERE, ITALY (FEBRUARY 12, 2006) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FANS IN MAIN SQUARE OF SESTRIERE FANS WATCHING DOWNHILL RACE ON BIG SCREEN TELEVISION IN SQUARE FRENCH FANS CHEERING AS THEY WATCH DOWNHILL ATHLETE ANTOINE DENERIAZ COMPETING VARIOUS OF GROUP OF FRENCH FANS CHEERING AND RINGING BELL AS DENERIAZ WINS GOLD MEDAL VARIOUS OF FRENCH FANS CHEERING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH FAN SAYING: "It's very good for us, because this year we have done nothing, so it is very good for us." MORE OF FRENCH FANS CELEBRATING WIDE OF FANS IN SQUARE
- Embargoed: 2nd March 2006 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVABCSQNWA352ICYM4KRDPS8FGER
- Story Text: Crowds gathered in Sestriere's main square on Sunday (February 12) to watch the Olympic men's downhill race on a giant television screen.
A group of French supporters erupted into loud cheers and rang bells in celebration as Frenchman Antoine Deneriaz snatched victory from Austrian favourite Michael Walchhofer to become the Olympic champion in the first Alpine skiing event of the Turin Winter Games.
"xxxx," a French fan said.
Deneriaz, who has not won a World Cup race in more than two years, beat World Cup holder Walchhofer by 0.72 seconds to capture the first major title of his career.
Switzerland's Bruno Kernen took the bronze, 1.02 seconds behind Deneriaz's time of one minute 48.80 seconds on the icy Kandahar Banchetta course.
Norwegian Kjetil Andre Aamodt, who had hoped to win a record eighth Olympic medal, was pushed into fourth place with overall World Cup champion Bode Miller of the United States fifth. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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