Maribor is notorious for being one of the easier slopes on the women’s World Cup circuit, but that doesn’t make the Slovenian venue a cake walk. The hill, conditions and course sets on Saturday still managed to knock out top athletes like Lichtenstein’s Tina Weirather, Italy’s Federica Brignone and Austria’s Anna Veith. Still, at the end of the day, fans saw one of the usual suspects atop the podium.
World Cup giant slalom leader Tessa Worley took the victory, finishing with a combined time of 2:16.96. The Frenchwoman was followed by Italian powerhouse Sofia Goggia, who was 0.16 seconds off of the pace. Switzerland’s Lara Gut rounded out the podium in third, 0.25 seconds away from the win.
It’s been a big fight in giant slalom standings this season with Worley, Gut and Mikaela Shiffrin all winning giant slalom races–not to mention athletes like Goggia and the strong Italian women’s team, who could podium, and even win, on any given day. Worley likes the intensity of the competition.
“It’s intense, but it’s awesome because it’s only in skiing that you can feel this feeling and I don’t know, I was so happy at the end to see that I was winning,” she said. “It’s a great fight, and I’m really happy that all the girls are wanting to win every race and making it so hard. I’m happy because it pushes me to get to my best level.”
While she walked away happy, the top Italian left with more drive to get to the top spot.
“I’m pretty happy with today’s podium actually because it is an important race because it is the last one of Tina Maze, which was my idol in past years, so I was really touched and excited for that,” Goggia shared. “I thought after the first run I was going to win, but still it’s okay like that.”
After first run, Goggia was only 0.07 seconds behind Shiffrin, the first run leader, putting her within striking distance of the victory. However, the second run set only suited a handful of athletes with the majority of them coming down in the red including the Italian and Shiffrin, who finished the day in fourth.
“I felt that I was charging in some spots,” Shiffrin said of her second run. “Super fast course and I didn’t quite match the speed that I was carrying, so I’m still learning. All in all, it’s not a terrible day.”
Even though she did not land on the podium, it was a strong result that keeps her in the lead of the overall standings over Gut. The Swiss athlete was happy to be on the podium, but desperately wants back on top.
“It’s always cool to be on the podium,” she said. “I had a little bit too many mistakes in the first run, so I can be not really happy, but the podium is always great, so take that and keep on working and hopefully, soon I will get the feeling of winning again.”
While the day was about the victor, it was also about Tina Maze. In a farewell to fans in her home country, the living legend skied one final World Cup run. Wearing bib 34, the two-time Olympic gold medalist skied the course with one pit stop along the way to hug her coaches. She finished by walking across the finish line, skis raised in the air victoriously as she heads into retirement. Of course, Maze recently told the AP that she’s not completely taking the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games off of the list of possibilities, so this race could be more of a “see you later” than a “goodbye” from the Slovenian.
Two other American women pushed out of the start gate. Resi Stiegler and Megan McJames did not qualify for a second run.
Shiffrin now leads the World Cup overall standings with 843 points. Gut sits behind her in second with 643 points while Worley moves into third with 563 points.
Women’s World Cup action continues tomorrow with a slalom race at Maribor.
Top 10
- Tessa Worley (FRA) – Rossignol / Rossignol / Rossignol
- Sofia Goggia (ITA) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
- Lara Gut (SUI) – Head / Head / Head
- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
- Viktoria Rebensburg (GER) – Stoeckli / Lange / Marker
- Raghnild Mowinckel (NOR) – Head / Head / Head
- Manuela Moellg (ITA) – Dynastar / Lange / Look
- Ana Drev (SLO) – Volkl / Dalbello / Marker
- Marie-Michele Gagnon (CAN) – Rossignol / Lange / Rossignol
- Coralie Frasse Sombet (FRA) – Head / Head / Head
Official Results
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total Time | Diff. | FIS Points | WC Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 196928 | WORLEY Tessa | 1989 | FRA | 1:08.33 | 1:08.63 | 2:16.96 | 0.00 | 100.00 | |
| 2 | 8 | 298323 | GOGGIA Sofia | 1992 | ITA | 1:08.20 | 1:08.92 | 2:17.12 | +0.16 | 1.14 | 80.00 |
| 3 | 7 | 516138 | GUT Lara | 1991 | SUI | 1:08.49 | 1:08.72 | 2:17.21 | +0.25 | 1.79 | 60.00 |
| 4 | 6 | 6535237 | SHIFFRIN Mikaela | 1995 | USA | 1:08.13 | 1:09.25 | 2:17.38 | +0.42 | 3.01 | 50.00 |
| 5 | 3 | 205218 | REBENSBURG Viktoria | 1989 | GER | 1:08.72 | 1:09.22 | 2:17.94 | +0.98 | 7.01 | 45.00 |
| 6 | 20 | 425929 | MOWINCKEL Ragnhild | 1992 | NOR | 1:09.44 | 1:08.64 | 2:18.08 | +1.12 | 8.01 | 40.00 |
| 7 | 12 | 296259 | MOELGG Manuela | 1983 | ITA | 1:08.59 | 1:09.57 | 2:18.16 | +1.20 | 8.59 | 36.00 |
| 8 | 15 | 565268 | DREV Ana | 1985 | SLO | 1:08.67 | 1:09.58 | 2:18.25 | +1.29 | 9.23 | 32.00 |
| 9 | 9 | 105269 | GAGNON Marie-Michele | 1989 | CAN | 1:08.87 | 1:09.43 | 2:18.30 | +1.34 | 9.59 | 29.00 |
| 10 | 26 | 197124 | FRASSE SOMBET Coralie | 1991 | FRA | 1:09.24 | 1:09.30 | 2:18.54 | +1.58 | 11.31 | 26.00 |
| 11 | 24 | 506399 | HECTOR Sara | 1992 | SWE | 1:09.00 | 1:09.79 | 2:18.79 | +1.83 | 13.09 | 24.00 |
| 12 | 22 | 297702 | MARSAGLIA Francesca | 1990 | ITA | 1:09.23 | 1:09.64 | 2:18.87 | +1.91 | 13.67 | 22.00 |
| 13 | 18 | 296729 | FANCHINI Nadia | 1986 | ITA | 1:09.30 | 1:09.96 | 2:19.26 | +2.30 | 16.46 | 20.00 |
| 14 | 31 | 565360 | STUHEC Ilka | 1990 | SLO | 1:09.17 | 1:10.20 | 2:19.37 | +2.41 | 17.24 | 18.00 |
| 15 | 27 | 297910 | CURTONI Elena | 1991 | ITA | 1:09.52 | 1:09.98 | 2:19.50 | +2.54 | 18.17 | 16.00 |
| 16 | 19 | 516280 | HOLDENER Wendy | 1993 | SUI | 1:09.50 | 1:10.06 | 2:19.56 | +2.60 | 18.60 | 15.00 |
| 17 | 23 | 516268 | WILD Simone | 1993 | SUI | 1:09.04 | 1:10.76 | 2:19.80 | +2.84 | 20.32 | 14.00 |
| 18 | 21 | 197319 | BAUD MUGNIER Adeline | 1992 | FRA | 1:10.04 | 1:09.85 | 2:19.89 | +2.93 | 20.97 | 13.00 |
| 19 | 38 | 565373 | ROBNIK Tina | 1991 | SLO | 1:10.16 | 1:09.89 | 2:20.05 | +3.09 | 22.11 | 12.00 |
| 20 | 30 | 516528 | MEILLARD Melanie | 1998 | SUI | 1:09.54 | 1:10.52 | 2:20.06 | +3.10 | 22.18 | 11.00 |
| 21 | 40 | 426187 | LYSDAHL Kristin | 1996 | NOR | 1:10.26 | 1:09.88 | 2:20.14 | +3.18 | 22.75 | 10.00 |
| 22 | 43 | 107613 | GRENIER Valerie | 1996 | CAN | 1:09.97 | 1:10.37 | 2:20.34 | +3.38 | 24.19 | 9.00 |
| 23 | 29 | 56174 | HAASER Ricarda | 1993 | AUT | 1:10.15 | 1:10.21 | 2:20.36 | +3.40 | 24.33 | 8.00 |
| 24 | 10 | 55759 | KIRCHGASSER Michaela | 1985 | AUT | 1:09.62 | 1:10.76 | 2:20.38 | +3.42 | 24.47 | 7.00 |
| 25 | 62 | 516344 | KOPP Rahel | 1994 | SUI | 1:10.15 | 1:10.39 | 2:20.54 | +3.58 | 25.62 | 6.00 |
| 26 | 46 | 56282 | RESCH Stephanie | 1995 | AUT | 1:10.33 | 1:10.29 | 2:20.62 | +3.66 | 26.19 | 5.00 |
| 27 | 25 | 296509 | CURTONI Irene | 1985 | ITA | 1:10.34 | 1:10.91 | 2:21.25 | +4.29 | 30.70 | 4.00 |
| Did not qualify for 2nd run | |||||||||||
| 74 | 465092 | CIOCANEL Raluca Georgiana | 1996 | ROU | |||||||
| 73 | 6000000 | SIMADER Sabrina | 1998 | KEN | |||||||
| 70 | 506341 | WIKSTROEM Emelie | 1992 | SWE | |||||||
| 69 | 665009 | SHKANOVA Maria | 1989 | BLR | |||||||
| 68 | 415205 | HUDSON Piera | 1996 | NZL | |||||||
| 66 | 315187 | IGNJATOVIC Nevena | 1990 | SRB | |||||||
| 64 | 435334 | GASIENICA-DANIEL Maryna | 1994 | POL | |||||||
| 63 | 56388 | LIENSBERGER Katharina | 1997 | AUT | |||||||
| 61 | 485926 | KRYUKOVA Kristina | 1997 | RUS | |||||||
| 59 | 425879 | RIIS-JOHANNESSEN Kristina | 1991 | NOR | |||||||
| 58 | 197616 | ALPHAND Estelle | 1995 | FRA | |||||||
| 56 | 405138 | JELINKOVA Adriana | 1995 | NED | |||||||
| 55 | 506664 | FJAELLSTROEM Magdalena | 1995 | SWE | |||||||
| 54 | 56199 | KAPPAURER Elisabeth | 1994 | AUT | |||||||
| 53 | 516394 | SUTER Jasmina | 1995 | SUI | |||||||
| 52 | 197215 | MASSIOS Marie | 1992 | FRA | |||||||
| 51 | 56032 | SCHILD Bernadette | 1990 | AUT | |||||||
| 50 | 155728 | DUBOVSKA Martina | 1992 | CZE | |||||||
| 49 | 185430 | HONKANEN Riikka | 1998 | FIN | |||||||
| 48 | 56241 | SCHNEEBERGER Rosina | 1994 | AUT | |||||||
| 47 | 307120 | ARAI Makiko | 1993 | JPN | |||||||
| 45 | 206355 | DUERR Lena | 1991 | GER | |||||||
| 44 | 299624 | PIROVANO Laura | 1997 | ITA | |||||||
| 42 | 485731 | ROMANOVA Anastasia | 1993 | RUS | |||||||
| 39 | 307493 | ANDO Asa | 1996 | JPN | |||||||
| 37 | 225525 | TILLEY Alexandra | 1993 | GBR | |||||||
| 36 | 537772 | STIEGLER Resi | 1985 | USA | |||||||
| 35 | 565331 | LAVTAR Katarina | 1988 | SLO | |||||||
| 33 | 538284 | MCJAMES Megan | 1987 | USA | |||||||
| 17 | 705423 | VLHOVA Petra | 1995 | SVK | |||||||
| 16 | 505679 | HANSDOTTER Frida | 1985 | SWE | |||||||
| Did not finish 2nd run | |||||||||||
| 28 | 56315 | TRUPPE Katharina | 1996 | AUT | |||||||
| 11 | 55947 | VEITH Anna | 1989 | AUT | |||||||
| 5 | 299276 | BASSINO Marta | 1996 | ITA | |||||||
| Did not finish 1st run | |||||||||||
| 72 | 35089 | SIMARI BIRKNER Macarena | 1984 | ARG | |||||||
| 71 | 95050 | KIRKOVA Maria | 1986 | BUL | |||||||
| 67 | 35079 | SIMARI BIRKNER Maria Belen | 1982 | ARG | |||||||
| 65 | 555018 | GASUNA Lelde | 1990 | LAT | |||||||
| 60 | 206759 | HIRTL-STANGGASSINGER Katrin | 1998 | GER | |||||||
| 57 | 565471 | HROVAT Meta | 1998 | SLO | |||||||
| 41 | 197651 | DIREZ Clara | 1995 | FRA | |||||||
| 34 | 565243 | MAZE Tina | 1983 | SLO | |||||||
| 32 | 306249 | HASEGAWA Emi | 1986 | JPN | |||||||
| 14 | 425771 | LOESETH Nina | 1989 | NOR | |||||||
| 13 | 56217 | BRUNNER Stephanie | 1994 | AUT | |||||||
| 2 | 297601 | BRIGNONE Federica | 1990 | ITA | |||||||
| 1 | 355050 | WEIRATHER Tina | 1989 | LIE | |||||||
About the Author: Gabbi Hall
