PYEONGCHANG, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The wind-hit Alpine skiing tournament finally got started at the PyeongChang Winter Games, the 17-year-old American Chloe Kim made snowboard history while the Games was marred by the first doping case on Tuesday.
In the Jeongseon Alpine Center, Marcel Hirscher of Austria underlined his status as the best skier of his generation by winning the men's Alpine combined slalom.
The six-time overall World Cup champion claimed the gold with a combined time of two minutes 6.52 seconds over the downhill and slalom events.
Hirscher said: "It was an amazing downhill, I think it was my best downhill ever. I started in the slalom run and managed to find the right line and a pretty close position to Alexis, so I'm super happy with today's result, for sure."
Hirscher finally won his first gold medal at Winter Olympics after winning six world champions, 55 World Cup races and 14 World Cup crystal globes.
American snowboarder Kim confirmed her reputation as one of the most exciting young talents by comfortably winning gold in the women's halfpipe final.
"I definitely, when I was younger, struggled a little to understand my identity and who I wanted to be and I think having my family to be there throughout the whole process was so helpful," said the 17-year-old, the youngest woman athlete to win a snow sports gold in Olympic history.
"I surrounded myself with such nice people that it definitely made it much easier for me. I feel like I got to represent both the US and Korea today."
Kim was already a promising star four years ago at the Sochi Games, but she was too young to compete then. This time in South Korea, her dream has come true.
Liu Jiayu, who competed in three Olympics, finished second to take China's first medal in PyeongChang.
"For Chinese people having someone on the Olympic podium is a great honor. Snowboard halfpipe doesn't have a long history in China but is growing fast. Hopefully my breakthrough will arouse more people's interest."
Also making history was Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway, who claiming cross-country skiing men's sprint classic gold.
By winning the title, he became the youngest gold-medal winner in men's cross-country skiing in the Olympic Games. The 21-year-old said: "I heard that one, so for sure that is cool. I just try to have focus on what I can do. I think with this a lot of pressure from the outside can come. I think it is even better to win when you can deal with the pressure. This is the first one and I am looking forward to the next races now."
Earlier in the day, Japanese short track speedskater Kei Saito has tested positive in the first doping case of the Games.
Saito has tested positive for acetazolamide, a diuretic, in an out-of-competition check, and "accepted on a voluntary basis to be provisionally suspended and to leave the Olympic Village," according to a Court of Arbitration for Sport(CAS) statement.
Yasuo Saito, chef de mission of Japan, said of the case: "The athlete himself when it comes to prohibited substances or supplements, he is very aware of the substances and Kei Saito had no idea why the samples tested positive and he could not understand where all that came from."
"I have to tell you his surprise was the first impression that Kei Saito had and put his heart in a very heavy place and could not understand how this came about, he could not think of any occasions or any possibilities that he may test positive for any of those substances," he added.
In short track speed skating, Italy's Arianna Fontana won women's 500m while Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands bagged men's speed skating 1,500m gold.
Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris brought Canada the mixed curling gold while German Natalie Geisenberger won women's luge singles title.
