Alpine skiing - Gisin holds off Shiffrin to claim combined gold

Alpine Skiing - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Alpine Combined - Jeongseon Alpine Centre - Pyeongchang, South Korea - February 22, 2018 - Gold medallist Michelle Gisin of Switzerland holds a flag as she celebrates. REUTERS/Toby Melville

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (Reuters) - Switzerland's Michelle Gisin held off the might of American Alpine skiing to win the women's combined at the Pyeongchang Games on Thursday, claiming victory ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin while her fellow Swiss Wendy Holdener won bronze.

Shiffrin's American compatriot Lindsey Vonn, who had led after the downhill section, was the last skier to compete but was unable to finish her slalom run, leaving the 24-year-old Gisin to savour her first Olympic medal.

Alpine Skiing - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Alpine Combined - Jeongseon Alpine Centre - Pyeongchang, South Korea - February 22, 2018 - Silver medallist Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S., gold medallist Michelle Gisin of Switzerland and bronze medallist Wendy Holdener of Switzerland celebrate during the victory ceremony. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Gisin's victory, with her combined time of two minutes, 20.90 nearly a second ahead of pre-race favourite Shiffrin, completed a rare Olympic double for her family after elder sister Dominique won the downhill in Sochi four years ago.

"It's so exciting. It's insane I really thought it's so hard to ski so fast in slalom," Gisin told reporters.

"I tried to give it my all and to put my whole heart in that run and I knew I had to be fast to keep a little distance because with Lindsey, you never know how fast she skis in slalom because she was amazing a couple years ago.

Alpine Skiing - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Alpine Combined - Jeongseon Alpine Centre - Pyeongchang, South Korea - February 22, 2018 - Michelle Gisin of Switzerland competes in the Women's Slalom part of the Women's Alpine Combined. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

"I was scared while skiing because this season slalom kicked my butt so many times... I was believing that one day I will put all the pieces together, one day it will all come to me and today it was exactly that," the Swiss added.

The two medals take Switzerland's tally to six in Alpine skiing at these Games, their most in a single Winter Games since 1988, when they won 11.

Shiffrin departs South Korea with two medals after she won gold in giant slalom and despite wild pre-Olympic predictions of her sweeping every event she entered, the American was satisfied with her return.

Alpine Skiing - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Alpine Combined - Jeongseon Alpine Centre - Pyeongchang, South Korea - February 22, 2018 - Michelle Gisin of Switzerland competes in the Women's Slalom part of the Women's Alpine Combined. REUTERS/Mike Segar

"I came into these Olympics knowing I could be a medal threat in multiple disciplines. I didn't even know how many I would ski," she said.

"After the gold in the giant slalom, I was really hopeful and positive. Then I had a tougher day in the slalom (she finished fourth) but it still feels good though."

Holdener produced the fastest slalom run of the day with a 40.23 and held on to bronze, with Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel struggling in the technical element and then Vonn skiing out early in her effort.

Alpine Skiing - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Alpine Combined - Jeongseon Alpine Centre - Pyeongchang, South Korea - February 22, 2018 - Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. competes in the Women's Downhill part of the Women's Alpine Combined. REUTERS/Mike Segar

For Holdener it was a second medal of these Games following a silver in slalom.

"The slope wasn't that good anymore, it wasn't that smooth so in the end I thought it was going to be fourth place. I'm really happy it was enough for the third place," she said.

The joy was particularly sweet given that she was able to share success with her compatriot Gisin.

Alpine Skiing - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Alpine Combined - Jeongseon Alpine Centre - Pyeongchang, South Korea - February 22, 2018 - Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. competes in the Women's Downhill part of the Women's Alpine Combined. REUTERS/Mike Segar

"It's a really cool moment because we are friends and grew up together. It's amazing," she added.

(Reporting by Simon Evans and Rory Carroll; Editing by John O'Brien)

Alpine Skiing - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Alpine Combined - Jeongseon Alpine Centre - Pyeongchang, South Korea - February 22, 2018 - Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway gestures during the Women's Downhill part of the Women's Alpine Combined. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Alpine Skiing - Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women's Alpine Combined - Jeongseon Alpine Centre - Pyeongchang, South Korea - February 22, 2018 - Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S. is seen during the Women's Downhill part of the Women's Alpine Combined. REUTERS/Toby Melville