Brignone GEPA pictures/Matic Klansek

For the first time this season, Lara Gut-Behrami didn’t win a race she entered. Today, Italy’s 33-year-old Federica Brignone became the oldest woman to win a World Cup GS. On a race hill that demanded considerable power for nearly 69 seconds, the veteran showed she had what it took to be the fastest.

After Slovakia’s Petra Vlhová and Stifel US Ski Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin completed two impressive runs, it seemed highly unlikely anyone would overtake the two rivals. However, Brignone used her (-0.40) first-run advantage and the third-fastest second-run to win by (-0.21). Vlhová was the fastest afternoon skier and ended the day (-0.08) ahead of the third place Shiffrin. Once again, women’s GS delivers great skiing and dramatic entertainment.

After the race, Brignone admitted, “Before the second run (in Sölden), I couldn’t even move and warm up; I wanted to puke, I felt really bad, and my legs were not moving. Today, I felt better. I wanted just to concentrate on my skiing, and I did it, and that’s so great.” 

Shiffrin spoke about the atmosphere, “it’s amazing. I mean, coming here, I was thinking, oh, it’s this kind of East Coast vibe,… We could hear them from the start again. So it’s amazing to have those races here on this side of the world.”

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Tremblant’s Flying Mile GS demanded the athletes’ best, and the top five were completed by Sweden Olympic Champion Sara Hector and discipline leader Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami. Hometown hero Canadian Valerie Grenier finished the day a winner in 8th and received the loudest cheers from the Tremblant fans.

Italian downhill rock star Sofia Goggia took the lead with only eight racers remaining at the start. However, two racers later, her teammate Marta Bassino earned the leader’s throne. Bassino saw off the attack of hometown hero Canadian Valerie Grenier, but then Shiffrin earned the leader’s throne by delivering the 2nd fastest final run and took a (0.75) lead.

Of the other three North Americans among the morning’s fastest 30, Paula Moltzan lost two positions, Britt Richardson lost three, and Cassidy Gray stayed level. However, Moltzan earned 13th, Richardson 15th and Cassidy ended her day in 24th. Undoubtedly, It was a good day for North American GS.

After the race, Moltzan shared, “The crowd is awesome. The fans are amazing. My skiing was medium today. I had a couple of mistakes, both first and second run. The snow is really challenging. The hill’s not super challenging, so I think those small mistakes kind of make for a tough day. But I’m excited to get back out here tomorrow.”

The second run started dramatically as the first two competitors could not finish the first sector. The fifth gate, immediately over a sharp breakover, offered a challenging direction change. Also, the course kept turning significantly from side to side to the finish. The speeds were notably slow.

Austrian Katharina Truppe was unusually the only racer to move up the leaderboard after the first ten women skied the second run. Truppe moved up five positions during the early part of the finale. The rest either stayed level or lost positions to Truppe. Saturday, the racer who moved up the most during the second run was Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund, who moved up six spots to finish 9th. The lead changes were fast and furious throughout the first 20. Still, with ten racers left to ski, Norwegian Thea Louise Stjernesund delivered fantastic skiing and led the field by (-0.62) over New Zealand’s Alice Robinson.

On their first attempt in 40 years, Tremblant delivered a dramatic women’s World Cup GS, and the fans were terrific.

Notably, of the 30 women who qualified for the finale, eight were Austrians and five were Italians, however, five were from North America.

Race results and analysis of the fastest three and additional North Americans

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Analysis of the fastest three and additional North Americans