Lara Gut-Behrami reigns supreme and wins third World Cup event in Solden - 'It's amazing to win here'

BySportsbeat

Published 28/10/2023 at 17:54 GMT

Lara Gut-Behrami matched Tina Maze's achievement in winning three times at the Austrian venue. After finishing fourth on the first run, she made up for lost time on the second to finish 0.02 seconds ahead of Federica Brignone. Brignone was left to rue her second run, admitting she "was really stressed." The podium was completed by Petra Vlhova, while Mikaela Shiffrin finished down in sixth.

Highlights: Gut-Behrami claims World Cup opening win at Soelden, Shiffrin sixth

Lara Gut-Behrami became just the second skier to win three World Cup events at Solden with her season-opening giant slalom triumph.

The Swiss star had previously won at the same venue in 2013 and 2016 and marked the resort's 30th anniversary as a World Cup host by returning to the top step of the podium.

Gut-Behrami was fourth after the first run but went on the attack second time around and her overall time of 2:18.94 left her 0.02 seconds clear of Federica Brignone.

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"It's amazing to win here," she said.

"Yesterday when I drew number 1, I was really happy, but in the morning I was a little bit nervous.

"It was the first time to me to start the season as the first one starting. And I paid for that a little bit in the first run.

"The second run, I felt again that everything was normal and I could do what I wanted."

Brignone admitted to frustration after letting her lead at the halfway stage slip and said: "The second run I was really stressed.

"I'm not happy with myself because I didn't do the best I could do. In the first run I could ski really relaxed and in the second run I wasn't and thought: 'you don't win races like this.'

Petra Vlhova claimed the final podium spot ahead of Sara Hector and Marta Bassino, with Mikaela Shiffrin in sixth.

"It's good to start with a podium in the first race of the season, but of course I could be a little bit higher on the podium," Vlhova said.

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