Brignone :GEPA pictures
Brignone Extends Giant Slalom Dominance with Åre Victory, Robinson and Colturi Podium
ÅRE, Sweden— With the final nine racers yet to ski, the battle for the giant slalom podium in Åre reached its thrilling conclusion.
Moltzan Holds the Lead Until Grenier Strikes
Sitting in the leader’s chair as the fastest so far, Stifel U.S. Ski Team racer Paula Moltzan watched as Austria’s Julia Scheib became the first of the final nine to attack the course. Scheib put down a strong run but fell just short of overtaking Moltzan’s time.
Next came Valérie Grenier (CAN), the fastest North American from the first run and a two-time World Cup giant slalom winner. Grenier skied with power and confidence, making up time in the second half of the course. When she crossed the line, she took the lead by 0.54 seconds, dethroning Moltzan.
Ljutic and Hector Fall Short, Top Five Remain
Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutić followed but struggled to generate speed, finishing well off the pace. The Swedish crowd then roared for their own Sara Hector, a two-time giant slalom winner this season. However, despite the electric home support, she could not find the needed flow and finished only tenth fastest.
With only the top five from the first run remaining, the podium was beginning to take shape—but the battle for the win was far from over.
Robinson Takes Over, Colturi Moves Into Second—for Now
First up from the elite group was Alice Robinson (NZL), the giant slalom season leader. Wearing the red leader’s bib, the 23-year-old attacked the course, carrying speed through the key sections and executing world-class timing. She crossed the line 0.21 seconds faster than Grenier, taking over the lead.
The next challenge came from 18-year-old Albanian phenom Lara Colturi. Fast, aggressive, and fearless, she pushed hard through the course but crossed the line 0.07 seconds behind Robinson, slotting into second place for the moment.
Stjernesund Falls Short—Robinson Secures a Podium
Colturi held second with three racers still to go, while Robinson was guaranteed no worse than fourth. Next up was Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund, looking to challenge the leaders. She skied with strong execution but couldn’t match the pace set by Robinson and Colturi, crossing the line behind them. With that, Robinson secured a podium finish.
Goggia’s Mistake Guarantees Colturi a Podium
With only two skiers left at the start, Colturi still faced the possibility of being pushed off the podium. But when Sofia Goggia made a crucial mistake and failed to finish, Colturi was officially guaranteed her second career and season giant slalom podium.
Now, with only Federica Brignone left to race, Robinson was guaranteed at least second place, but the final podium order still had to be decided.
Brignone Leaves No Doubt, Decides the Podium
Only one skier remained—Federica Brignone, the four-time giant slalom winner this season and World Champion. She attacked from start to finish, showing why she is the most dominant giant slalom skier of the year.
Brignone delivered the performance expected of her, crushing the course and winning by a massive 1.36 seconds. Her dominant run sealed the final podium standings, keeping Robinson in second place and Colturi in third place.
“I was pushing so hard—Åre is one of my favorite giant slaloms on the tour. I love the snow here, especially when it’s salted, but today it felt slippery, and I thought I wasn’t pushing enough. So I kept attacking all the way to the finish. Then I made a mistake and thought, ‘Oh no, it’s over.’ But I just kept pushing. It was an amazing day again, and since last year in Åre, I have so many good memories. This is an incredible moment for me, and I’m so happy.” — Federica Brignone on her dominant victory in Åre.
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Final Standings
- Federica Brignone (ITA) – 1:52.67 (17th career GS win, 5th this season)
- Alice Robinson (NZL) +1.36 (7th podium in 8 GS races this season, remains the GS standings leader)
- Lara Colturi (ALB) +1.43 (2nd career and season GS podium, still a junior racer)
“It was a tough race, especially for me in this kind of snow. I wasn’t feeling great, but I found a solution—the perfect solution—so I’m really happy. I love it when it’s icy because I can push on the skis, but when it’s soft, I don’t feel as comfortable. I’m proud of myself and the great work we’ve done as a team.” — Lara Colturi on overcoming challenges to secure a podium in Åre.
Robinson Holds the Season Lead Heading to Sun Valley Finals
Although Brignone’s dominant win closed the gap, Robinson still leads the giant slalom season standings by 20 points, with only the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley remaining. The battle for the giant slalom crystal globe will now come down to a final showdown between Robinson and Brignone in the last race of the season.
“Fede has been amazing with all these wins, but by sticking close and finishing second, I’m keeping the points with me for now. It’s exciting that we get to have a final shootout in Sun Valley in a couple of weeks!” — Alice Robinson on the battle for the giant slalom season title.
O’Brien Set the Pace as First Ten Finished in Åre Giant Slalom Finale
ÅRE, Sweden— With 10 racers down and 20 still to go, Nina O’Brien (USA) held the lead in the Åre giant slalom finale after delivering a blazing second run. The skies had partly cleared, giving racers better visibility, and O’Brien took full advantage of her clean course, attacking with world-class timing to post 1:55.28.
O’Brien, who had started second after a disappointing first run, had already jumped eight spots in the standings—an expected turnaround for a skier of her caliber. Behind her, Lisa Nyberg (SWE) and Elisabeth Bocock (USA) had also climbed the ranks, sitting second (+0.04) and third (+0.17), respectively.
With the fastest eight still to come and 20 racers yet to compete, the battle for top positions was just beginning. Would O’Brien’s time hold up? The race was only getting faster.
Halfway Through: O’Brien Still Leads as Holtmann Moves Into Third
With 15 racers down and 15 to go, O’Brien (USA) remained in the lead, having climbed 13 spots with her blazing second run. Nyberg (SWE) stayed second, just 0.04 seconds behind, while Mina Fürst Holtmann (NOR) moved into third, pushing Bocock (USA) to fourth.
With 15 skiers still to come, O’Brien’s time remained the benchmark—but the most significant challenges were yet to race.
Moltzan Takes Lead as Final Nine Prepare to Race
With only 12 racers left, the standings finally saw a shake-up as last season’s giant slalom champion, Lara Gut-Behrami, dethroned Nina O’Brien, who had led since the early stages. O’Brien’s remarkable 16-position climb was still the biggest of the day, while Lisa Nyberg also made an impressive 13-spot jump, holding fifth place with the best yet to ski.
But Gut-Behrami’s time at the top was short-lived. Just moments later, Paula Moltzan stormed into the lead, continuing her breakout season in giant slalom. She skied a powerful, attacking run, clocking 1:54.78 to push Gut-Behrami down to third.
“I’m super happy with my second run! I left a little time out there, but coming down in the green is always a great feeling. It’s so awesome for the whole team to push hard in the second run and have everyone finish in the top 20!” — Paula Moltzan on a strong team performance in Åre.
With only the nine fastest from the first run left, all within a second of the leader’s time, the fight for the podium was just getting started. The showdown was on and is now Åre history.
North Americans Surge in the Second Run
It was a strong showing for North American skiers, with seven racers competing in the second run and four finishing inside the top 15.
- Valérie Grenier (CAN): The top North American finisher, climbing three spots to take fifth place.
- Paula Moltzan (USA): Gained six positions, finishing sixth with a strong and attacking run.
- Nina O’Brien (USA): The biggest mover of the day, jumping 18 places from 29th to 11th, fueled by the second–fastest second run time.
- Elisabeth Bocock (USA): She made a 10-position climb and secured 14th place, her best career World Cup result.
- Britt Richardson (CAN): Moved down one spot, finishing 15th.
- AJ Hurt (USA): Slipped three places in the second run, finishing 19th.
Four Americans and two Canadians finished in the top 20, and North America made a strong impact in the second run. Several skiers showed their ability to attack and climb the standings.
O’Brien and Bocock Share Their Thoughts
“I struggled to find the tempo in my first run and felt like I was pushing too hard in these softer snow conditions. After finishing 29th, I felt pretty lucky just to be in the second run and have another shot at the hill. I had nothing to lose and a perfect course, so I’m really glad I sent it. I made the most of my start position and I’m really happy with how I skied that second run. In the end, I’m happy with the day and proud of another strong GS performance from our team!“ — Nina O’Brien on her second-run charge in Åre.
“Today was a great day for the team, with a couple of big move-ups in the second run, which was awesome. The spring conditions in Åre were challenging, so I was happy to make it into the second run and take advantage of the cleaner track. I’m super happy with the result—this is my final World Cup weekend of the year, so I’m just trying to ski aggressively with nothing to lose!” — Elisabeth Bocock on her strong performance in Åre.
GS Results
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Race analysis of the fastest three and North Americans
About the Author: Peter Lange
