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 Chapuis calmly negotiated the crashes and chaos of one of the
most unpredictable events at the Sochi Games and the 1-2-3 was
secured when the fourth finalist, Canada's Brady Leman, fell on the
penultimate jump after tangling with Midol's skis.
"With the two other French guys it's like a dream," said Chapuis,
who has dual nationality and was on the Swiss Alpine skiing team
before switching sports and countries in 2010.
"Yesterday, I was joking with the guys saying that all three on the
podium would be good and it happened. It's perfect.
"We didn't have a strategy. There are three places for the podium,
there is one loser's place. We are friends off the slopes, but on
the slopes we are enemies."
It was the second medal sweep for one nation in the freestyle skiing
at the Extreme Park after the Americans took all three podium places
in the slopestyle event.
It also ensured France their best tally at a Winter Games with a
total of 14 medals, exceeding the 11 the nation won at Salt Lake
City and Vancouver.
 Chapuis had shown strong form all day. Fourth fastest in the
seedings' run, the 24-year-old led bronze medalist Midol through
from their round-of-16 heat and the pair repeated the one-two in
their two subsequent races to reach the final.
Bovolenta came through the bottom half of the draw with Leman and
made a good start in the medal decider, edging ahead of Chapuis
before being reeled in.
"At the beginning of the run I was first, then I saw Jean-Frederic's
ski past me," Bovolenta said. "I was glad to follow his path until
the end of the run."
Chapuis never looked like being caught once he got in front and when
Leman fell, the French trio just had to stay upright after the final
jump.
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Midol slid over the line on his back and then took time amid the
celebrations to remember his brother Bastien, a world championship
silver medalist who was ruled out of the Games by a serious back
injury.
"I was thinking so much of him. He is doing well," said Midol. "He
is in front of the television watching. He is in bed and he cannot
walk."
Leman missed out on the Vancouver Games after breaking his leg but,
true to the spirit of freeski racing, did not blame Midol for his
fall.
"I feel like I let the team down. I am proud, but I'm crushed I came
fourth," said the 27-year-old, who took out Swiss favorite Alex Fiva
in the first round of heats.
"I knew that if I didn't get my skis tangled up then I'd have been
on the podium. It sucks to go without."
Semi-finalist Armin Niederer apart, it was a miserable day for the
strong Swiss team with defending champion Michael Schmid failing to
start after suffering yet another knee injury and Fiva crashing out.
As usual in the rough and tumble of the "roller derby on snow" there
were plenty of crashes and Fiva was by no means the only leading
skier to go out early.
The exit of the Swedish medal contender Victor Oehling Norberg was
the most spectacular, crash-landing on the final jump while leading
his quarter-final — and missing out on the semis by only a matter of
centimeters.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford and Robert Woodward)
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