( CNN ) -- They 're the golden girls of downhill skiing -- but neither Dominique Gisin nor Tina Maze could hide their surprise after making Olympic history in Sochi . Cue elation , huge smiles and hugs after the two skiers recorded the same time to each win a gold medal for the first time in the history of alpine skiing at the Olympics , following a dramatic conclusion to the women 's downhill event Wednesday . Switzerland 's Gisin , who has not won a World Cup downhill race since 2009 and whose best finish in the downhill this season is seventh , had appeared set to claim gold outright after finishing with a run of 1 minute 41.57 seconds . Follow CNN 's live Sochi Winter Olympics coverage . But last year 's overall World Cup champion Maze had other ideas -- powering through the course in the exact same time to take a share of the spoils . `` I have no words , '' the Slovenian , who won silver in the super-G four years ago in Vancouver and was one of the pre-race favorites , told reporters . `` This does n't feel real . I will have to see my team to get myself together and realize how much this means to us , '' added the 30-year-old , who kissed the snow after finishing her run . `` I have been dreaming about this since I was little . The first ski race I ever won in my life was a downhill , so before I went down the track today I said to myself : 'This has to be it . I can do it , ' and I just went for it . '' Gisin failed to finish in 2010 but , after a year interrupted by injury , this time she came through in style to shock not just her rivals but also herself . Incredible . `` This is incredible , '' the 28-year-old told reporters . `` I am overwhelmed with emotions . I am so happy -- what a day . I do n't think I even dreamed about this . Now that I have won , I am living the dream , but this is better than dreaming . '' This not the first time Gisin has tied for top honors -- she shared the podium with Sweden 's Anja Paerson when she claimed her maiden World Cup victory in 2009 . An outsider for the title on this occasion , the Swiss Air Force pilot was ranked 12th in the overall World Cup standings ahead of Sochi and suffered concussion in her only previous Olympics appearance . `` That 's the story of my career , up , down , forwards , backwards , '' she added . `` I have had a lot of injuries in my life , I had nine knee surgeries . I was close to the podium a lot . I never won a medal on a big event , so what comes around , goes around , '' she said . Gisin , who started skiing when she was 18 months old , started eighth in Wednesday 's race and then faced an agonizing wait until Maze , who went out 21st , crossed the line some 30 minutes later . `` I looked away and I looked up again and then I thought , 'Zero . That means we 're good , ' `` said Gisin . `` I was so nervous , just waiting . There was nothing I could do but in the end I was ahead -- well , together with Tina , but that 's fine . I am for sure happy where I am . '' Celebrations . Gisin is the first Swiss downhill winner since Michela Figini in the Sarajevo Games 30 years ago . Celebrations involved a phone call to Gisin 's grandparents , who helped her learn to ski as a child . `` It was very emotional , they did so much for me , '' she added . `` My whole family did . They always believed this would come , they always said you have to believe . '' The pilot , who does n't fly in the winter because `` it is too stressful , '' believes the injury problems which have blighted her season gave her extra motivation to succeed in Sochi . `` I had trouble giving everything in races since the last injury , adding half a meter here or there , leaving a little more space rather than too little , '' she said . `` That 's not how you win races . I did n't feel like an athlete anymore . `` Having to qualify , I had to fight in a strong team like this . That 's what I needed , and now I feel like an athlete again and that 's the biggest victory for me today . '' There have been instances of shared medals in skiing at the Olympics . France 's Christine Goitschel and American Jean Saubert shared giant slalom silver at the Innsbruck Games in 1964 . In 1992 , American Dian Roffe and Austrian Anita Wachter tied for second place in the same discipline . Switzerland 's Didier Cuche and Austrian Hans Knauss tied for the men 's super-G silver in 1998 .
Switzerland 's Dominique Gisin and Petra Maze both win gold in women 's downhill . Gisin led before Slovenia 's Maze with same time of 1 minute 45 seconds . Gisin 's compatriot Martina Rossi finishes third ahead of Italy 's Daniela Merighetti . Alpine skiers have shared medals before at the Olympics , but never gold .