Federica Brignone secured a dramatic win in the women’s World Cup super-G on Sunday, capping off a successful three-race weekend that strengthened her lead in the overall standings. The Italian skier edged defending champion Lara Gut-Behrami by just 0.06 seconds at Norway’s Kvitfjell ski resort.
“When I came down, I said: ‘No, no, no.’ I had too many mistakes. I thought it was possible for someone to do better,” Brignone admitted. “It was very difficult. I didn’t have a great feeling or a perfect run. But no one did. I took risks, and it paid off.”
Brignone’s victory followed a fifth and fourth-place finish in the weekend’s downhill races, putting her ahead of her Swiss rival. “This is like the cherry on the cake. It’s been an amazing weekend. Today I’m a bit lucky with the hundredths,” she added.
Gut-Behrami appeared poised for victory but lost time after skiing wide and hitting soft snow mid-run, dropping six-tenths behind Brignone’s split. Despite a strong recovery, she couldn’t make up the full deficit. “It happens all the time this season. I’m skiing well but keep making those mistakes,” she said.
Brignone’s teammate Sofia Goggia finished third, 0.09 seconds behind, while New Zealand’s Alice Robinson placed fourth, trailing by 0.22 seconds. American legend Lindsey Vonn, making a comeback at 40 with a titanium knee, finished 16th after initially matching Brignone’s pace but catching a bump that knocked her off course.
Brignone’s 35th career World Cup win extended her overall lead to 251 points over Gut-Behrami with seven races left. However, Gut-Behrami still leads the super-G standings by 55 points, with three races remaining, including two in Italy. “La Thuile is my home. All my friends will be there. It’s only 20 minutes from where I live,” Brignone said. “I just have to keep the speed and take risks.”
The women’s World Cup continues next week with two technical races in Åre, Sweden.
Source: Swifteradio.com
