– Gut-Behrami is struggling – a teammate is crying with worry
Despite finishing third, Lara Gut-Behrami has little reason to be happy in Are: Because Federica Brignone won, winning the Giant Slalom World Cup is not yet certain.
Published: March 9, 2024, 10:27 amUpdated 23 hours ago
Lara Gut-Behrami was unable to decide the race for the discipline ranking early.
Photo: AFP
Put the lid on and take a breather? Not yet!
Lara Gut-Behrami was unable to win the Giant Slalom World Cup early, despite finishing third in Are, her 16th podium finish in the 25th race of the season. It’s a huge result, and yet for once there was only a pained smile for the TV cameras. Because Federica Brignone, according to her own statement, conjured up one of the best performances of her career in the snow in the second run and managed a close second on Gut-Behrami, she won the penultimate race in this division. The Swiss is still 95 points ahead, which means: Brignone has to win again next Sunday in Saalbach, otherwise Gut-Behrami will be all over it. In any case, 15th place is enough for the Ticino native to win the small crystal ball.
The thoughts of Didier Cuche
Ultimately, it was a matter of blinking an eye in Sweden: If local Sara Hector hadn’t come in second place, seven hundredths ahead of Gut-Behrami, the decision in the discipline World Cup would have already been made. Gut-Behrami summarized that she always said that the bullets would only be distributed in Saalbach. The 32-year-old seemed a little tired; she said she had trouble with the timing and couldn’t really accelerate. “It bothers me how I drove, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to. That’s why I’m not satisfied despite being on the podium.”
Regarding the Giant Slalom World Cup, Brignone spoke of a mission impossible waiting for her, although nothing is impossible in skiing. Remember the 2007/2008 season, when Didier Cuche led Hannes Reichelt by 99 points in the Super-G before the last race, but was actually intercepted by the Austrian.
The duel with Brignone in the overall World Cup has also not yet been decided, although it is probably just a matter of formalities. Gut-Behrami is 286 points ahead, so the Italian could theoretically win 500 points in the remaining five races. Brignone announced that she would compete in the slalom again on Sunday, but she doesn’t have much confidence in that division. Gut-Behrami’s triumph could be a fact as early as next week in Saalbach.
The praise of Shiffrin
In the slalom, the focus will be on Mikaela Shiffrin. After a seven-week injury break, she will make her comeback; she wants to at least secure the small crystal ball in her flagship discipline and save what there is to save this winter. Even before her violent fall in Cortina at the end of January, she was way ahead in the overall World Cup.
Apparently, Shiffrin is still anything but pain-free, or so says ORF expert Alexandra Meissnitzer, who has a good relationship with the American. Shiffrin, on the other hand, only has words of praise for Gut-Behrami. «I love watching her ski. Lara has raised the level of our sport to a new level this winter.”
Of course, this doesn’t apply to the other Swiss women in the giant slalom: Andrea Ellenberger remained without points in her ninth race, but she still isn’t thinking about quitting. Simone Wild (27th) missed qualifying for the WC final of the best 25 and cried in the TV interview afterwards, also because she was worried about being part of the squad. However, thanks to her 30th place in the discipline World Cup, she will just about remain in the Swiss-Ski A squad. Michelle Gisin and Camille Rast finished 17th and 22nd.
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Yesterday, 2:55 p.m
We hereby end the live ticker from the giant slalom in Are. We thank you very much for your attention and wish you a nice weekend.
A detailed report on the race and of course the fight for the overall World Cup and the discipline rankings will appear here shortly.
Yesterday, 2:54 p.m
The external conditions could hardly have been more contrary. In the morning there was still snowfall in Are and strong winds were blowing in the upper part of the route, which put a lot of strain on the athletes. Therefore the race was shortened – much to the delight of Federica Brignone.
The Italian had a very difficult time in the upper part in the morning; she was “only” in third place. But when it comes to the decision, Brignone has a knife between her teeth – for which she is rewarded with victory. Sara Hector is ranked second, three tenths behind, Lara Gut-Behrami is third (+0.40).
This means that the decision about the discipline ranking will only be made at the World Cup finals in Saalbach. Because Brignone shortens the gap to leader Gut-Behrami by 40 to 95 points. Which means that the starting position for the Ticino native is of course still excellent. The same applies to the overall ranking, in which Gut-Behrami is 286 points ahead of Brignone. By the way, the Italian will even be taking part in the slalom in Are tomorrow. In that race, Mikaela Shiffrin makes her comeback after a month and a half injury break.
With Michelle Gisin (17th), Camille Rast (22nd) and Simone Wild (27th), three more Swiss women finished in the points in the giant slalom in Are.
Yesterday, 2:44 p.m
Lara Gut-Behrami is not entirely satisfied – despite her seventh podium finish in the 10th giant slalom this winter. “I had a little trouble and was never able to accelerate properly,” she says in a TV interview. That’s not what she wanted, “I’m not happy with that.” What is forgotten with so much self-criticism is that it is nevertheless a very solid performance. And she is still in a great position to win the ball in the giant slalom classification for the first time. “I always said the balls would be distributed in Saalbach. Now it’s like this. At the moment I’m just thinking about skiing, then I’ll think about the balls next week,” she says.
Yesterday, 2:38 p.m
Brignone is beaming, Gut-Behrami can be happy. But one athlete can’t hold back the tears: Simone Wild. The woman from Zurich came 27th, which did not improve her position in the discipline rankings. Her thoughts revolve around the selections for next season; she fears falling out of the top 30 and losing her A-squad status. “Fear was always in the back of my mind. Now it’s over and I can’t do anything anymore,” she tells SRF. The race is still on.
The good news for Wild: It is now clear that she will remain in the top 30.
Yesterday, 2:33 p.m
She wasn’t happy at all with the first run, says Brignone in the TV interview. “So I said to myself: You have to give it your all!” Said and done. Brignone also liked the fact that the second run was run on a shortened route because she had shown so much trouble with the upper part in the first run.
Even if she still has a chance of getting the ball, she says: “It’s over, but I can still enjoy it. And I plan to do the same for the remaining races.” By the way: Brignone will even be competing in the slalom tomorrow.
Yesterday, 2:28 p.m
Because the Italian wins, she gains 40 points on Gut-Behrami. This means that the decision regarding the discipline victory is postponed. The Ticino woman is 95 points ahead of Brignone before the final giant slalom at the World Cup final in Saalbach.
Yesterday, 2:26 p.m
As with Brignone, the Swede also made a mistake right after the start. But Hector quickly catches up and is enough for second place – three tenths behind Brignone, but seven hundredths ahead of Lara Gut-Behrami.
Yesterday, 2:21 p.m
It’s a controlled run for the Ticino woman, she falls four tenths behind Brignone in second place. It quickly becomes clear that Gut-Behrami cannot keep up with Brignone. Now it depends on what Sara Hector does. If she sits ahead of Gut-Behrami, that won’t be enough for an early victory in the discipline rankings.
Yesterday, 2:20 p.m
Shocking moment right at the start – Brignone is almost out. Then she runs the knife between her teeth. She, who had to be slowed down by her brother after a bear market in January, ordered her to take a few days off. And she, who said after the first run and with a view to Lara Gut-Behrami that the fight for the ball was over.
But Brignone manages a magnificent run: she takes the lead with a one and a half second lead over her teammate.
Yesterday, 2:18 p.m
The giant slalom specialist won her first World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana. Now she is taking the lead in Are. What is already certain: An Italian woman will be on the podium in Are – because she will be followed by Brignone.
Yesterday, 2:16 p.m
Now it is the turn of the strongest Austrian in the discipline ranking. She is very strong until the half of the run, then Scheib also makes a mistake. That costs them the lead and they are classified behind Stjernesund.
Yesterday, 2:14 p.m
Most recently, she placed 5th in Jasna and Soldeu. And now the Norwegian is shouting her joy again – she is at the top with a lead of three tenths over Direz.
Yesterday, 2:11 p.m
There is the first failure in this second run. Zrinka Ljutic slips on the inside ski.
Yesterday, 2:10 p.m
As is well known, Mikaela Shiffrin is not at the start today. And so the other Americans are for once a little more in focus. Like AJ Hurt. She is classified in fifth intermediate place.
Yesterday, 2:08 p.m
Their emotional world could hardly be more different. The Engelberg native was still struggling in the first run. Now she beams in the TV interview: “It was a feel-good run, rather short, rather easy without the first steep slope. That was really nice.”
Gisin is currently in 11th place.
Yesterday, 2:07 p.m
But the Norwegian’s lead doesn’t last long. Clara Direz screams her joy at the finish. The Frenchwoman takes the lead and will achieve her third top 10 result this winter.
Yesterday, 2:05 p.m
The Norwegian’s performance is better – much better. Prince Holtmann takes the lead.
Yesterday, 2:04 p.m
That was nothing at all. Romande has to correct twice and loses a lot of time as a result. Only intermediate rank 14 for Rast.
Yesterday, 2:02 p.m
Recently things weren’t going well for the Austrian. Didn’t qualify twice for the second run and only 27th place in Soldeu – that’s Franziska Gritsch’s latest results. In Are, however, she does something for the spirit and takes the lead.
Yesterday, 2 p.m
The American was plagued by back and knee pain, which is why she recently reduced her days of skiing. It paid off: with the third-best time in the second round, she took the lead with a lead of five hundredths over Brunner.
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