Gut-Behrami Takes 42nd World Cup Win
From downhill to super-G to giant slalom in the space of a few days — as the races slow down, Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) just keeps getting faster.
The Swiss star claimed her second victory in three days in the Kronplatz giant slalom on Tuesday, winning her 42nd World Cup race to tie Anja Paerson (SWE) in equal-sixth place on the women's all-time list.
In a dominant performance in the Italian Dolomites, Gut-Behrami led by 0.59 seconds after the first run and ran away with it in the second run to triumph by 1.09 seconds over joint runners-up Alice Robinson (NZL) and Sara Hector (SWE).
"It's crazy to do something like that (matching Paerson), it's unbelievable," Gut-Behrami said, as she continues to build her legacy as one of the greatest ski racers of all-time.
"I know that what I want to do in my career, I already did it," said the reigning Olympic super-G champion, who has indicated that she could retire after the 2025/26 season.
"I'm trying to enjoy my last years — if I win, it's good, if I don't, I try to have fun at least."
Gut-Behrami did both on Tuesday, using an excellent lower section on the first run to power into the lead, separating herself from the tightly-bunched chasing pack.
Skiing last in the second run, the Ticinese athlete built her advantage with several phenomenal turns at the top of the steep pitch and, despite an error coming onto the lower flats, she was never troubled.
"It's been a few years that I'm working on my GS and it's getting even more consistent right now," she said after her third win in the discipline this season. "I always say that GS is the base for me, it's the most important discipline."
The victory capped off a gruelling long weekend of racing for Gut-Behrami, who came second and fifth in the two downhills in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Friday and Saturday before winning the super-G there on Sunday.
"I think it has been a few interesting days," she said. "I'm happy about my skiing but right now I don't really have a clear mind to understand what's going on — but I'm happy and tired."
The victory saw Gut-Behrami extend her lead in the giant slalom standings to 85 points over Federica Brignone (ITA), who came sixth on Tuesday, and draw within 95 points of the absent Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) in the chase for the overall crystal globe.
With Gut-Behrami winning comfortably, the real drama was the second-place tie between Robinson and Hector, who were also level at the final intermediate split in the second run and skied exactly the same time on the flats leading to the finish.
Robinson, skiing with a slight advantage over Hector from the first run, charged ahead early in the second run but lost time on the pitch before recovering to cross the line in equal first with only Gut-Behrami left to ski.
"I'm really happy with where my skiing's at at the moment," said the 22-year-old New Zealander, who reached her third giant slalom podium of the season after going more than two seasons without one.
"I feel like I'm in a really good position where I can ski at 95, 90 per cent and still be fast whereas in the past I feel like I've either been really fast or completely out of it, so it feels good to be finding a bit of neutral ground with my skiing."
Hector also made her third giant slalom podium of the season, and on the back of her victory last time out in Jasna 10 days ago, she seems to be returning to the form that saw her win Olympic gold in this discipline in 2022.
"I was skiing very good in training, but then to do it in the race, it's never easy," the Swede said.
Despite her impressive recent results, however, Hector was still left taking notes after seeing Gut-Behrami zoom to victory.
"Lara was skiing amazingly good today, it was very nice to see," she said. "So, watch and learn for the next race."
