Svindal enjoys first gold with Norway legend Aamodt (News Feature)

By David Hein Feb 20, 2010, 1:04 GMT

Whistler, Canada - Aksel Lund Svindal knew it for sure once he saw his one-time idol Kjetil Andre Aamodt jumping up and down.

Svindal knew he had just completed a great run to win Friday's men's Olympic super-g race - an event his Norwegian compatriot and now good friend Aamodt won three times.

'Kjetil is not part of the team. But when I came in and tried to stop I had a hard time seeing the leader board. But Aamodt was there doing commentary for television and he was going crazy. That was the confirmation that it was a good run,' said Svindal, whose victory in the super-g gave him two medals at the 2010 Olympics following the men's downhill silver.

'He knows what it's all about to win. It was nice to talk to him afterwards.'

Aamodt certainly knows plenty about winning Olympic races, and the super-g in particular. Three of his record eight alpine Olympic medals were super-g gold, including the 2002 and 2006 races.

'It's amazing how many Norwegians have won super-g. It's not so much to do with the nation, but with the amazing athletes. I looked up to these guys all my life,' said the 27-year-old Svindal, who is 11 years younger than Aamodt and 12 years younger than five-time Olympic medalist Lasse Kjus.

Svindal took time after Friday's victory to recall the time at the end of his juniors career when he began training with Aamodt and Kjus.

'It started as them being idols. And then there I was having dinner with some of these guys that I had posters of on my walls. It went from them being my idols to being my friends. It took half an hour,' said the Loerenskog native.

'What I learned the least from them is actually their skiing. It's about the process. It's more how to handle the pressure. They gave me a head start on what you need to do well.'

Svindal has been skiing extremely well - and not just in Whistler.

He suffered a serious crash in November 2007 in Beaver Creek, landing badly on a jump before somersaulting into a safety fence. He had broken facial bones and a long cut in his groin and abdominal area.

The nasty spill cost Svindal the remainder of the 2007-08 season. He returned to World Cup skiing in October 2008 and registered his first two wins - a downhill and super-g - in his return to Beaver Creak.

'That is in the past now. Last year was the comeback year. And this is a new year,' Svindal said of his injuries.

Last season the 2007 downhill and giant slalom world champion won the super-g and overall World Cup titles. And he ended the season with the super combined crown at the 2009 worlds in Val d'Isere.

That success continued this season and Svindal followed up his downhill silver with super-g gold to become the fourth Norwegian to win two alpine medals at a single Games, joining the ranks of Aamodt (1992, 1994 and 2002), Kjus (1998 and 2002) and Stein Eriksen (1952).

'Getting medals is what you aim for. You reach your goals. The next race is a new day,' said Svindal, who admitted having already grabbed a medal in the downhill made things easier in the super-G.

'For sure it took some pressure off, I felt like it was the last thing I was thinking at the start gate - 'you already have a silver and it can only get better so enjoy this and give it all you have, don't hold anything back'.'

'I was pretty nervous, but tried to smile at the start -I'm not sure if I made that - and just go for it. Now I have a reason to smile,' he said.

'These games have been awesome and can only get better.'

That would leave Aamodt plenty of more chances to jump for joy for Svindal.