Sochi 2014: remarkable shared gold at Winter Olympics – in pictures

The downhill event is one of 10 events which make up the alpine programme; it's also the fastest … Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Athletes can achieve speeds of up to 120kph as they hurtle down the course, one by one. This is a picture of Hungary's Edit Miklos Photograph: Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters

Tight bends add to the drama Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

The perils of racing at such speeds are evident; Alexandra Coletti of Monaco had to be carried to a helicopter after a crash during her run Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

A big crowd turned out to watch the action at the finish line Photograph: Charlie Riedel/AP

Others caught a good look from the ski-lifts Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Germany's Victoria Rebensburg gets airborne during her downhill run at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Center Photograph: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images

Britain's Chemmy Alcott, whose career was almost ended by a double leg break in 2010, clocked a time of 1min 43.43sec Photograph: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Given that she fractured a leg last year, her presence in the event was a triumph in itself Photograph: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Alcott celebrated wildly at the finish-line despite placing 19th Photograph: Alexander Klein/AFP/Getty Images

Switzerland's Dominique Gisin led the pack with a time of 1min 41.57 sec Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

She looked thrilled at the prospect of a gold medal, but had to wait to see if anyone could better her time Photograph: Alexander Klein/AFP/Getty Images

Remarkably, Tina Maze of Slovenia couldn't better Gisin's time, but she did match it exactly Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

Maze kissed the snow after realising she had tied for gold Photograph: Jean-christophe Bott/EPA

The pair then took to the podium together, becoming the first athletes ever to share Winter Olympic gold Photograph: John G. Mabanglo/EPA