1st giant slalom of the season – optimal start to the season: Gut-Behrami triumphs in Killington – Sport


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Lara Gut-Behrami gets the season off to a great start: the Ticino native wins the giant slalom in Killington.


The pedestal

  • 1. Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) 1:44.08 minutes
  • 2. Marta Bassino (ITA) +0.07 seconds
  • 3. Sara Hector (SWE) +0.20

Optimum start to the season for Lara Gut-Behrami: the Ticino native triumphed in her first race of the season in Killington (USA). After the third fastest time in the first run, the 31-year-old also impressed in the second run. Both drivers ahead of her at half-time, Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel and Swede Sara Hector, could not match the performance of the Swiss.

Ultimately, it was 7 hundredths that decided in favor of the Swiss. Marta Bassino (ITA) just missed out. She also made a leap forward in the second round – from 5th to 2nd place. Olympic champion Hector completed the podium, two tenths behind.

For Gut-Behrami, it is the first giant slalom victory in the World Cup since 2016. At that time, she also won in Sölden at the beginning of the season. Between the two successes, however, she also triumphed in the “giant” at the 2021 World Ski Championships in Cortina.

Start shifted down

Like last year, when the race had to be abandoned, the wind in Killington played a role again this year. Gusts made it necessary to lower the start, the drivers found changeable conditions.

Mikaela Shiffrin did not deal with it ideally: it was a disappointment for the local hero. Shiffrin, who had dominated the slalom start in Levi with 2 wins, did not get going and ultimately had to settle for 13th place.

The other Swiss women

After the first round, Simone Wild and Michelle Gisin were classified 17th at the same time. However, both failed the 2nd run. Wild fell back to the end of the classification, Gisin was only 25th place. More would have been possible for Wendy Holdener, too. A mistake just before the end cost the Schwyzer a better classification.

For 4 Swiss women it was already the end of the line after the first run. Aline Danioth, Mélanie Meillard and Vivianne Härri lined up one behind the other, more than 3 seconds behind the half-time leader. They missed the top 30 by 6 tenths. Vanessa Kasper was eliminated.

16-year-old drives into the points

A 16-year-old driver, Lara Colturi, caused quite a stir. Born in Italy and competing for Albania, the athlete finished 17th in her first giant slalom of her career. She had already competed in both of Levi’s slaloms, but missed the second run there.

Here’s how to proceed

The next race is already scheduled for Sunday in Killington. From 4:05 p.m. (live on SRF info) the drivers will compete in the 3rd slalom of the season. There are two downhills and a Super-G in Lake Louise next weekend.

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