ALPINE SKIING- Men's super combined Olympic champion Sandro Viletta (SUI) is the latest surprise to win gold in an alpine skiing event at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Viletta, whose best finish in a super combined race before Day Seven was fourth in Wengen in January, joined mens and ladies downhill gold medallistsMatthias Mayer (AUT) and Dominique Gisin (SUI) as skiers that few could have predicted for glory on the sport's biggest stage.

While there was no surprise about the mens super combined silver medallist - Ivica Kostelic (CRO) has now won three consecutive silvers in this event - speed specialist Christof Innerhofer (ITA) added to the sense of shock at Rosa Khutor by taking bronze. The 2014 mens downhill silver medallist could never be accused of being in love with slalom.

"I practised slalom only four days in two years. At the start gate, I nearly decided not to bother because the downhill went so well for a lot of the slalom specialists," a delighted Innerhofer said.

Viletta, who is Switzerland's first Olympic super combined gold medallist, was 14th quickest in the downhill run on Friday morning, 1.64 seconds behind Kjetil Jansrud (NOR). The 28 year old Swiss has shown some sparks of form in the super combined this season, following a fourth in Wengen with a seventh in Kitzbuehel. He also finished fifth in the super combined world championship in 2013.

None of this suggested, however, that the Swiss skier was on the verge of getting his second career win (his first came in a world cup super G race in December 2009) at the 2014 Olympic Games.

"I didn't think I would come first, it's also a big shock," said the champion.

As temperatures hit 14 degrees, the combination of a tough, steep course and soft, wet snow caused problems for even the best skiers. Alexis PINTURAULT (FRA) was one of the 11 skiers not to finish the super combined, after making a mistake on the top section. Fellow favourite and winner of the last world cup super G race before the Games Ted Ligety (USA) struggled to get 12th.