Gut-Behrami Wins Overall & GS Globes
Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) confirmed her position as the standout women’s skier of 2023/24 by winning both the Overall and the giant slalom Crystal Globes on an emotional day at the Audi FIS World Cup Finals in Saalbach, Austria.
Italy’s Federica Brignone won the race in a commanding fashion, finishing 1.36 seconds ahead of the field. New Zealand’s Alice Robinson followed in second, while Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund was third, 1.67 seconds out. Though Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami struggled on the first run, she was able to finish a solid 10th place to earn herself the giant slalom Crystal Globe.
Heavy rain fell on the small Austrian ski town for much of the night, but the clouds cleared and the sun came out on Sunday morning for the final tech race of the 2023-24 World Cup season. The race organizers did their best to prepare the track for a fair race, though there was a definite advantage for the lower start numbers.
The Swiss superstar may not have been at her very best in the final GS race – finishing 10th, a full 3.22 seconds behind winner Federica Brignone (ITA) – but her non-stop excellence throughout the season meant she did not have to be.
The 32-year-old started the day with almost insurmountable leads of 95 points in the GS and 282 points in the Overall rankings, both over Brignone. That meant that she knew whatever the irrepressible Italian did, she just had to be inside the top-15 to first secure her maiden GS Globe.
“I was really nervous today because I really wanted to win that. I skied so bad, I was just so nervous so I am not so proud of that but in the end for once, with 32 (years old) I learned that sometimes you just have to stay safe, try to cross the finish line,” Gut-Behrami said.
That is exactly what she did. Eighth at the halfway stage, the 2021 GS world champion and reigning Olympic GS bronze medallist cruised down the second run to a rapturous welcome from the tens of thousands of knowledgeable Austrian fans at the finish.
“It’s unbelievable. I mean GS has always been so important to me and to win this Globe, it’s just unbelievable,” a smiling Gut-Behrami said after replicating childhood hero Sonja Nef’s GS Globe wins back in 2001 and 2002.
A record of four wins, three podiums and four top-10s in the 11 World Cup GS races this season show just how good Gut-Behrami has been in.
“GS has always been there for me, like the key. I always knew that if I am skiing fast in GS I am skiing fast in super-G and downhill…It’s always been my goal to be one of the best in the GS, so I could feel like the best,” said the Swiss who still has the chance to add the downhill and super-G Globes her burgeoning collection.
There is no doubt Gut-Behrami has been the best this season and amid the joy of securing her longed-for GS title, the veteran was reminded she is also the overall champion.
“It’s so great to win that. I don’t realise about it, just speaking about the GS but it’s going to come,” she laughed, having secured her second Big Globe, eight years after her first.
“I am proud I can manage the entire season to ski on a high level. It’s really unbelievable.”
So close for Brignone
Brignone’s skiing has been almost as other-worldly as Gut-Behrami’s this season. Six wins and 12 podiums across the disciplines is mighty impressive, as was the pair of gasp-inducing recoveries she pulled off on her way to another roller-coaster victory.
“I tried to push and recover and just start from zero and continue the run as if nothing had happened,” said Brignone who led run one after nearly falling on her back before repeating the feat in the afternoon.
“And then I woke up and I saw the crowd and saw the first place and it was just amazing.”
Second in the GS standings, third in the super-G – with a chance to catch second-placed Conny Huetter next weekend – and second overall sum up a remarkable effort from the 33-year-old.
“I can’t really have a regret. The only regret is maybe January when I had too many mistakes. I was trying to push too hard,” she said. “Lara was just better than me. I had an amazing season.”
Robinson and Stjernesund lay down markers
While the two veterans dominated proceedings, two young skiers quietly continued to indicate what the future might hold.
New Zealand’s Alice Robinson has long been a superstar in waiting, having burst on to the scene with her first GS victory aged 17. Still just 22, she has started to add real consistency to her undoubted talent as her fifth podium finish of the season proved.
“This year maybe I didn’t get a win but I felt like the consistency in my skiing has been the best it’s ever been, so I am really happy with that,” Robinson said, having finished second, 1.36 seconds off Brignone.
Third-placed Thea Louise Stjernesund (NOR) was equally delighted to see her progress confirmed with a best result of a consistent season.
“Podiums is what matters and I feel ready to get them,” she said after celebrating long and hard with teammate Mina Fuerst Holtmann (NOR) who took second in Saturday’s slalom.
The home fans almost got to celebrate what they wanted most. Stephanie Brunner (AUT) produced her best of a challenging year to grab fourth, just 0.25 seconds off the podium.
But of those not to make the coveted top three, it was definitely Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR) whose grin was biggest. The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic GS silver medallist, who will retire after next weekend’s speed races, produced two solid runs to finish eighth before taking in the deserved adulation of the crowd.
For the American's
Paula Moltzan closed out the season on a high note with a personal best giant slalom result on Sunday, March 17, snagging sixth place at World Cup Finals in Saalbach, Austria.
Moltzan struggled on the first run to find her groove, landing in 13th, but she knew there was nothing to lose heading into the second run and was advised by her coaching staff via their course report to “FULL SEND!” She skied a clean and fast second run, coming across the finish line in the lead. Moltzan ended up with a personal best sixth place giant slalom finish to end the season with an exclamation mark—and was the second-fastest on the run.
“Today was tough,” Moltzan reflected. “Soft GS isn’t really my cup of tea, but I’m really happy with how I performed my second run. First run was just a bit high, too early, and safe line. Second run I kind of knew it was balls to the walls and I was either going out or finding the finish and I’m happy I found the finish so I can forget about all of the bad skiing I had this year.”
AJ Hurt, who had a breakthrough season with two podiums—one each in giant slalom and slalom—also started on Sunday, landing in 20th. Hurt ended the World Cup giant slalom season ranked 15th in the world. Moltzan ended up ranked 11th.
“AJ and I are super competitive,” said Moltzan, “So when it comes to training, all we do is push, and it’s in a really healthy and respectful way. We send as hard as we can every day, and we’re starting to be able to see that on race day.”
She added with a giggle, “Most of the time AJ is better than me, so I’m going to try to be more like her when I grow up.”
Teammate Mikaela Shiffrin sat out the giant slalom, opting instead to focus on slalom at World Cup Finals. Shiffrin ended up ranked fifth in the world in the discipline, despite missing the final three giant slalom races due to an injury sustained in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
