Lara Gut Behrami Secures Fourth GS Win; USA’s AJ Hurt Claims First GS Podium

GEPA pictures/ Mathias Mandl

Switzerland’s Lara Gut Behrami recovers from a disappointing first run to win her fourth GS of the season.

She was the first of the superstars to ski the final course. She is the season’s GS standings leader but was only 9th fastest during the morning run. However, she is fiercely competitive, and it was known she would deliver something special to protect her lead. She skied at her limit, survived a near crash, and crossed the finish with a (0.41) lead, giving herself an opportunity for a hard-earned podium. However, there were still eight women with first-run advantages left to ski.

“My first run was not what I wanted, I felt a little bit too round and maybe too passive on my skis,” said Gut-Behrami

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“The second run, I just tried to attack, to move forward and try to be fast on every meter on the slope. I had a big mistake on the finish, so I’m really happy that in the end it worked out.”

The first of those eight was Sweden’s Olympic Champion, Sara Hector, but she crossed the finish (+0.76) behind Gut-Behrami. The next to race was Norways Ragnhild Mowinckel but she finished over a second behind the Swiss leader.

Stifel US Ski Team’s AJ Hurt was the next to threaten the Swiss Champion. Hurt skied with significant energy and crossed just (+0.15) Gut-Behrami, putting herself in contention for her first World Cup GS podium.

That left the five fastest from the first run. Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic was the first of the final group but crossed well behind the two leaders. Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund was next and she also lost time throughout her run and crossed into third. Then, only the fastest three from the first run were left at the start.

New Zealand’s Alice Robinson was the first of that group to ski. She attacked and delivered an impressive power performance but crossed into second only (+0.01) behind the Swiss leader. It was then that Gut-Behrami knew she had achieved a podium.

“It’s always a bit bittersweet coming second with one hundredth,” Robinson said. “For sure, I’m a little bit disappointed that I couldn’t get the win, but a podium is still a really good result.”

“I think I’ve gotten to a point where I’m feeling a lot more consistent than I’ve ever felt,” said Robinson. “Over different weekends, different slopes and different snow conditions, I feel like my skiing’s been quite solid across the board.” 

However, the next to ski was her season nemesis, Italian Federica Brignone, but she made costly mistakes and crossed into 4th. Gut-Behrami then realized she would be no worse than 2nd. The final racer to ski was first-run leader Italian Marta Bassino. Still, she crossed 6th and Gut-Behrami had won her fourth GS of the season and moved into the World Cup overall lead five points ahead of the absent Mikaela Shiffrin. With only two GS races remaining on the calendar, Gut-Behrami also increased her lead in the season’s GS standings to 135 points.

To the delight of Stifel US Ski Team fans, 23-year-old AJ Hurt earned her first World Cup GS podium by finishing third (+0.15). Hurt delivered the fourth-fastest second run and moved up three positions to match her Kranjska Gora slalom with a spot on a World Cup podium.

“I was hurt all last season so I was excited to come back at all, so this is really crazy to have this,” said Hurt.

“Alice and I grew up skiing together in Lake Tahoe, so this was a moment we’ve been waiting for for a long time, so it’s pretty awesome.”

Hurt is the first US woman not named Shiffrin to stand on a World Cup GS podium since Lindsey Vonn won in Sweden in December of 2015.

North Americans

The first Stifel US Ski Team member to ski the second run was Paula Moltzan. Moltzan was ranked 13th after the first run. She delivered an excellent run but crossed the finish into 2nd with 12 skiers yet to ski. Moltzan, however, ended the day with a strong 11th (+1.16).

The Canadian Junior World Champion, Britt Richardson, was the 11th skier to attack the second course. She revealed her elite skiing is continuing. During the final run, she moved up six positions and finished 14th (+1.31). Today’s Soldeu result improves her credentials for her first invitation to the World Cup finals.

Candian Cassidy Gray was the first of the North Americans to ski the final run. It was her fourth time qualifying for the second GS run this season. Although she made a big mistake in a problematic delay gate, she finished and scored points for the third time this season—the fifth time in her career.

Biggest second-run improvement

The most significant second-run improvement came from Austrian Ricarda Hasser. After finishing the first run 18th, she delivered the fastest second run to move up ten positions to finish a season-best eighth.

Lara Gut Behrami clinched her fourth GS victory of the season in a thrilling display of skill and determination. With each turn, she fought to take the lead, ultimately earning the top podium spot and is now leading the World Cup overall standings. As the ski community applauds her outstanding performance, anticipation builds for the next exhilarating race on the calendar.

“The globes, they give them in March and not before,” Gut-Behrami reminded. “And I think also this season we saw that to win something it’s not just skiing well, it’s not just your technique, it’s about being healthy and staying safe.” 

The next and final regular season women’s World Cup GS is March 10th in Åre, Sweden.

Soldeu Andorra GS results and analysis of the fastest three and North Americans

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Analysis of the fastest three and North Americans