Kronplatz Queen Lara Gut-Behrami. © APA/afp / TIZIANA FABI

The Kronplatz queen is looking forward to a strange gift

The giant slalom in St. Vigil was once again a spectacle this year. In the end, Lara Gut-Behrami, the currently outstanding ski racer, prevailed. She is now looking forward to a gift that for many is not a gift at all.

30 January 2024

From St. Vigil

On Tuesday, Erta was the center of the ski world. The giant slalom slope in St. Vigil was in a picturesque condition, and the many fans turned the World Cup into a party. On a normal working day, no fewer than 9.000 spectators found their way to St. Vigil, where this special ski race took place.

And yet: A big topic on Tuesday was the many victims that the ski circus has claimed in the past few days. With Mikaela Shiffrin (knee injury), Petra Vlhova and Valerie Grenier (both torn cruciate ligaments), three big names were missing, all of whom would have had a chance of winning. One person who always delivers is Lara Gut-Behrami, who simply dominated the race and drove to victory with a respectful lead. Suddenly the overall World Cup is a serious topic again for the Swiss.

Gut-Behrami was in a league of his own. © ANSA / ANDREA SOLERO

That's why it's a little bit paradoxical when the Ticino woman said after her 42nd World Cup victory: "The fact that there's no more racing this week is a gift for me." Background to the statements: The speed double in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, that Should have taken place at the weekend but was canceled due to lack of snow. This means all-rounder Gut-Behrami (she skis downhill, super-G and giant slalom) can breathe easy. “To be honest, it’s hard for me to miss races. Often the hunger is too great; you want to race every day. This is of course a burden - and injuries lurk around every corner, as we have seen. That’s why it’s good that this break is coming now.”

The liberation of Sofia Goggia

In addition to Gut-Behrami, two athletes, Alice Robinson and Sara Hector, were second on the podium at the same time. But Sofia Goggia was also one of the winners on Tuesday. The downhill queen achieved her best giant slalom result in six years, i.e. 5th place, on the Erta of all places.

Sofia Goggia made the finish area in St. Vigil shake. © APA/afp / TIZIANA FABI

“When I saw it flash green, I realized it was a great second run. That was a liberation for me too. I haven't done much in this discipline for three years, so I have to thank my coach Luca Agazzi, who took me by the hand. I’m really happy that I was finally able to build on the performance of previous days,” says Goggia. The Bergamaskin had previously been strong in the giant slalom and had already reached the podium five times. It wasn't enough for the top 3 this Tuesday, but it was definitely a liberation.

The next women's race will take place in a week and a half: the giant slalom will take place in Soldeu on February 10th, followed by the slalom the next day.