Two of skiing's greatest ever Olympians defied physical pain to add more gold to their medal hauls on a day for heroes high in the Italian Alps.
"I always ski better when I am sick," said Croatian Janica Kostelic, who swept to victory in the women's combined event just three days after missing the downhill because of a rapid heart rate.
Victory made Kostelic the first woman ever to claim four alpine Olympic titles - moments after another superstar of the sport had made history on an adjacent mountain.
Kjetil Andre Aamodt, ruled out of the defence of his own combined title this week by a knee injury suffered in Sunday's downhill, recovered to win the men's super-g gold in Sestriere.
It was the 34-year-old Norwegian's record-breaking eighth Olympic alpine title and his fourth gold as he knocked Austrian great Hermann Maier into second place by 0.13seconds.
American Bode Miller, who started as one of the favourites to capture an elusive first Olympic gold, skied off course and failed to finish.
Aamodt said: "To defend an Olympic title is really hard, and the feeling is fantastic. When I kicked out of the start I felt a little pain - but you don't care too much and you risk everything."
Aamodt, who won his first Olympic medal 14 years ago, has no plans for retirement yet.
"It would have been a great day to retire - but I also said that in Salt Lake City. It is still special," he said.
Maier's silver medal completed his own remarkable comeback after a devastating motorbike crash which almost forced the amputation of one of his legs.
The double Olympic champion from Nagano in 1998 had been suffering from 'flu all week but clambered off his sick bed to record a superb bottom half of the course for his third medal.
Kostelic's competition in the delayed combined event had been in doubt up to the last minute because of the mystery ailment which ruled her out of the downhill.
But she soared down the mountain at San Sicario Fraiteve in a faultless performance which placed her 0.17secs ahead of Swedish favourite Anja Paerson who had to settle for silver.
Kostelic said: "Every victory is different in some way, and today the challenge for me was to beat my sickness. I didn't feel any pressure. In fact it didn't feel like the Olympics were going on."
Italy's unexpected love affair with curling continued to flourish as the host men's team pulled off an extraordinary 7-6 upset over title favourites Canada.
Skip Joel Retornaz sent down the last stone of the match to grab a famous victory for the rank outsiders - and send a capacity flag-waving crowd wild at Pinerolo.
Retornaz, whose side now stand a great chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, said: "It was the best victory of our lives. Winning over Canada at an Olympics is better than a wonderful dream."
It was not a good day for the traditionally strong Canadians at Pinerolo.
In the morning session, their ladies team suffered an equally embarrassing 5-2 reverse to outsiders Japan.
Switzerland pulled off one of Olympic ice hockey's greatest upsets by shutting out favourites Canada for a 2-0 win at Torino Esposizioni.
The Swiss underdogs had never beaten Canada in seven previous Olympic meetings, including a record-breaking 33-0 defeat way back in 1924.
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