Ortlieb, Suter, Goggia / Soldeu / GEPA pictures
Corinne Suter won the Aliga downhill at the top.
The Swiss veteran attacked from bib 4 and built her margin in the opening sectors. She stopped the clock in 1:31.62 and never gave the lead back.
Just 0.24 seconds separated the podium.
Fifty-three skiers from 13 nations took on Aliga in Soldeu. The early numbers were volatile. The finish was decisive.
Top Five — Aliga Downhill (Soldeu)
- 1st — Bib 4 🇨🇭 Corinne Suter (SUI, 1994, Head) — 1:31.62
- 2nd — Bib 3 🇦🇹 Nina Ortlieb (AUT, 1996, Head) — +0.11
- 3rd — Bib 6 🇮🇹 Sofia Goggia (ITA, 1992, Atomic) — +0.24
- 4th — Bib 11 🇩🇪 Emma Aicher (GER, 2003, Head) — +0.53
- 5th — Bib 14 🇺🇸 Breezy Johnson (USA, 1996, Atomic) — +0.61
How Suter Built the Winning Run
Suter won this race in the upper half of Aliga.
She was fastest in Sectors 1, 2 and 3. That stretch created the separation. No one matched her early acceleration.
She gave time back in Sector 4. But she recovered in the final glide. The margin held.
Nina Ortlieb carried speed through the middle section and nearly erased the deficit. Sofia Goggia charged late but paid the price for a slower opening split.
After bib 6, the top three stabilized.
They survived the entire seeded group.
Podium Reaction
Corinne Suter: Belief Restored
Corinne Suter’s victory was her fourth World Cup downhill win and the 18th downhill podium of her career — and her first World Cup victory in more than three years.
After multiple leg injuries in December delayed her season, confidence did not return immediately.
“It was not so easy at the start of the season,” Suter said. “It takes a lot of time. But today is a special day for me.”
She admitted the comeback required patience.
“Sometimes when I stopped believing in myself, they did,” she said of her team. “You choose to never give up and always fight until the end.”
On Aliga, precision was everything.
“Here, you have to ski from the top to the bottom with no mistakes. It’s so hard when you make a mistake to be fast again. You lose so much time.”
In the end, the joy returned.
“I know no girl who doesn’t like to race here. It’s so much fun.”
Nina Ortlieb: A Reward for Resilience
Ortlieb secured the third World Cup downhill podium of her career and her first in nearly three years.
“I like the conditions, I like the track, and I like skiing in good weather,” she said. “At the beginning of the race, with this temperature, it’s a little advantage.”
After battling repeated injuries, the result mattered deeply.
“I deserve this podium after all I’ve been through the last couple of years. It was worth it to fight back.”
Sofia Goggia: Still in the Fight
Goggia now owns 38 World Cup downhill podiums, including 19 victories.
“I’m really happy with my performance,” she said. “Corinne and Nina were really, really fast on the top part. I had to contain my gap and recover something in the technical part. I did it, but it didn’t last.”
On the globe race, she stayed measured.
“I’m not thinking about the downhill globe. I’m living day by day.”
🇺🇸 United States — Aliga Downhill
Eight Americans started. Six were among the first 30.
Here is how they finished:
- 5th — Bib 14 🇺🇸 Breezy Johnson (USA, 1996, Rowmark Ski Academy, Atomic) — +0.61
- 8th — Bib 19 🇺🇸 Jacqueline Wiles (USA, 1992, White Pass Ski Club) — +1.03
- 21st — Bib 23 🇺🇸 Allison Mollin (USA, 2004, Team Palisades Tahoe, Head) — +2.23
- 22nd — Bib 22 🇺🇸 Keely Cashman (USA, 1999, Team Palisades Tahoe, Head) — +2.25
- 31st — Bib 25 🇺🇸 Isabella Wright (USA, 1997, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, Atomic) — +2.95
- 35th — Bib 53 🇺🇸 Mary Bocock (USA, 2003, Rowmark Ski Academy) — +3.60
- DNF — Bib 28 🇺🇸 Haley Cutler (USA, 1997, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Atomic)
- DNF — Bib 47 🇺🇸 Tricia Mangan (USA, 1997, HoliMont Snowsports / Dartmouth College, Head)
Johnson led the American effort and remains in the downhill title fight.
“I feel like I left it all out there,” Johnson said. “I had a couple of scrappy moments, but that’s ski racing. I’m still in the standings for the downhill globe, so I’m going to keep pushing.”
Wiles approached the day differently. She focused on execution after struggling on the pitch in training.
“I’m super happy with it,” Wiles said. “It was a little scrappy at times, but solid. I’m building confidence and I’m excited for the Super-Gs.”
Wright missed World Cup points by one position. Thirty-first.
Mangan was tracking toward a top-30 before going out in the final sector. Cutler crashed mid-course but skied down under her own power.
High Bib Scorers — Bib 31+ Who Earned Points
Aliga largely rewarded the early seed. Still, six later starters scored:
- 19th — Bib 35 🇦🇹 Nadine Fest (AUT, 1998, Head) — +2.18
- 23rd — Bib 40 🇨🇭 Jasmin Mathis (SUI, 1995, Head) — +2.29
- 26th — Bib 42 🇦🇹 Lena Wechner (AUT, 2000, Head) — +2.64
- 27th — Bib 31 🇳🇿 Alice Robinson (NZL, 2001) — +2.80
- 28th — Bib 37 🇫🇷 Camille Cerutti (FRA, 1998) — +2.84
- 29th — Bib 41 🇨🇭 Joana Hählen (SUI, 1992, Atomic) — +2.86
Highest bib to score: 42 (Wechner)
Fastest among bib 31+: Fest
Downhill Globe Implications
Lindsey Vonn did not start.
She remains the downhill points leader. But with three races remaining and a tightly packed group behind her, the discipline globe is far from secure.
Suter’s victory tightens the race. Ortlieb and Goggia remain firmly in contention. Aicher continues to apply pressure.
Momentum is shifting.
Aliga did not decide the globe.
But it changed the tension.
Updated Women’s Downhill Standings
(After Soldeu — 6 of 9 races)
- 🇺🇸 Lindsey Vonn (USA, 1984, Head / Oakley) — 400 pts
- 🇩🇪 Emma Aicher (GER, 2003, Head) — 306
- 🇩🇪 Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (GER, 1996) — 256
- 🇮🇹 Sofia Goggia (ITA, 1992, Atomic) — 240
- 🇮🇹 Laura Pirovano (ITA, 1997, Head) — 236
Vonn still holds a significant advantage.
But she is not racing.
With three downhills remaining, the fight behind her is tightening. The gap can shrink quickly.
The downhill globe is alive.
Top 30 Race Results
Click Images to enlarge
Analysis of the leaders and Other North Americans among the top 30
About the Author: Peter Lange
