Contents
In the second run of the giant slalom in Soldeu, the Ticino woman made it to the top thanks to a strong run from 9th place.
The podium
- 1. Lara Gut-Behrami 1:59.27 minutes
- 2. Alice Robinson +0.01 seconds
- 3. AJ Hurt +0.15
As Alice Robinson raced towards the finish in Soldeu (AND), Lara Gut-Behrami’s pulse really skyrocketed. After the New Zealander remained 0.01 seconds behind the Swiss, she clenched her fist and let her emotions run wild. Two rides later – neither Federica Brignone nor Marta Bassino were able to surpass Gut-Behrami – the Swiss woman’s 43rd World Cup victory was certain in wintry conditions.
The 32-year-old completed a perfect comeback in the second run. She went from 9th place to the top. Thanks to her 100 points for the victory, Gut-Behrami extended her lead over Brignone in the discipline standings to 135 points.
The big ball within reach
“En passant” she overtook the convalescent Mikaela Shiffrin in the overall World Cup – and with three speed weekends in the next few weeks, the prospects for Gut-Behrami there are also brilliant. All the more so because her current form speaks for itself: In the 10 races in 2024, she won 4 times, came second twice, third once, fifth once and sixth twice.
Behind Gut-Behrami and Robinson, AJ Hurt completed the podium. The 23-year-old American made it into the top three in the giant slalom for the first time. She also came third in the slalom in Kranjska Gora at the beginning of the year.
The other Swiss women in the points
- 15. Camille Rast +1.40
- 26. Simone Wild +2,32
Behind the Swiss team leader, the Swiss Ski team was not entirely convincing. Camille Rast was unable to use her top form from the last few weeks, but placed 14th but was just in the top 15. Simone Wild was unable to improve in the final, had to settle for 26th place and was accordingly disappointed.
Jasmina Suter missed the second round in 31st place by a tiny 3 hundredths. Mélanie Meillard (36th), Andrea Ellenberger (37th) and Stefanie Grob (39th) had no chance.
This is how it continues
A second race, the slalom, is scheduled for Sunday in Andorra. The women’s entourage then moves on to Switzerland, where two downhill runs and a Super-G are scheduled for Crans-Montana. Veritable speed weeks begin with the races in Valais: between mid-February and early March, the riders compete in 3 downhill runs and 4 Super-Gs.