By Daniel Etchells

Austria celebrate their success in the nations team event at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships ©Getty Images Top seeds Austria claimed the nations team event gold medal at the International Ski Federation (FIS) Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek, Colorado.

The Austrian quartet of Marcel Hirscher, Eva-Maria Brem, Michaela Kirchgasser and Christoph Noesig beat 10th seeds Canada 3-1 in the final after seeing off Argentina, Norway and Switzerland in the earlier rounds. 

Canada, whose team consisted of Erin Mielzynski, Phil Brown, Candace Crawford and Trevor Philp, overcame Germany, Italy and Sweden but had to settle for the silver medal. 

Although Brem lost the first heat of the final, finishing 0.26 seconds behind Mielzynski, wins for Hirscher, Kirchgasser and lastly Noesig completed the turnaround.

"It was just a perfect day for us, everyone was expecting us to get the gold medal but it's never so easy," Brem told the FIS. 

"I think the public really likes these races and for us it's something different.

"I would really like to have this at the Olympics, it's something new and something exciting and different."

Austria has now won three gold medals since the event became part of the Championships in 2005. 

The victory caps off a memorable couple of days for Kirchgasser who won her maiden individual medal yesterday by taking bronze in the women's super combined event. 

Hirscher also tasted success earlier this week winning the men's combined event on Sunday (February 8). 

Christoph Noesig won the final heat to seal victory for Austria against Canada ©Getty Images Christoph Noesig won the final heat to seal victory for Austria against Canada
©Getty Images



The Swedish team of Anna Swenn-Larsson, Andre Myhrer, Maria Pietilae-Holmner and Mattias Hargin secured the bronze medal after winning 3-1 against Switzerland in the "small final".

Among their scalps en route to the semi-finals was the United States team led by Olympic gold medallists Mikaela Shiffrin and Ted Ligety.

The event, in which two men and two women from each country compete in a parallel slalom race, is the only team competition at the Championships.

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, revealed earlier this month that talks are underway to consider adding it to the Olympic programme at Pyeongchang 2018. 

The action at the Championships will recommence on Thursday (February 12) after a rest day tomorrow. 

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