SEATTLE _ If it had been a script, Hollywood certainly would have turned it down.
Twin brothers finishing 1-2 in an Olympic skiing event, one hour after the gold-medal winner's wife delivered the couple's first son a continent away?
It would have seemed far too implausible and too perfect.
But 34 years ago in Sarajevo, that's what happened to twin brothers who grew up at Washington's White Pass, where their father managed the ski resort.
Phil Mahre, who was unquestionably the greatest men's skier in American history at the time, capped his brilliant career by winning the gold medal in slalom skiing.
Steve, who at the time was the second-greatest skier from the U.S., held on for second place. And after his victory, Phil learned during a TV interview that his wife had given birth to their son that day.
No American man has won a slalom medal since that day, and it would be a huge shock if the U.S. gets one Thursday in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The Mahre brothers, now 60, have continued to succeed since capping their careers with that 1-2 finish, then retiring weeks later. They raised families, raced cars, started a ski-training center and recently started a home-construction company.
They continue to live in the Yakima area, two stars who never acted like it.
"I was well grounded and had eight other brothers and sisters to keep me in line, bring me back to earth if I ever did get a big head," Phil said. "We were just two individuals that happened to ski race. A lot of people, the sport defines who they are. Skiing never defined who Steve and I were. We were just two guys who just happened to ski and be successful at it."
