Stuhec strikes again with alpine combined victory

By Published On: December 16th, 2016Comments Off on Stuhec strikes again with alpine combined victory

When Tina Maze officially announced her retirement in October, fans may have wondered who would step up to carry the torch for Slovenia. It seems like Ilka Stuhec is the answer. On Friday in Val d’Isere, France, the Slovenian earned her third World Cup win of the season and her first ever in alpine combined. After skiing to third in the morning downhill run, she turned up the heat in slalom, winning with race with a combined time of 2:40.33. Switzerland’s Michelle Gisin finished in second, just 0.12 seconds off of the pace, while Italy’s Sofia Goggia rounded out the podium in third place.

The three women on the podium were a particularly cheerful trio during the flower ceremony as it was the first time on the alpine combined podium for all of them. Stuhec teared up as her national anthem played, and Gisin and Goggia enjoyed champagne showers and danced fearlessly in the finish area. Their happiness was palpable.

Stuhec, though not a slalom skier, managed to power to a win thanks to a strong second run.

“It feels great like every win. Well, all three of them,” she shared. “I felt confident in the start of the slalom, but still I know I could push a bit more, but maybe one part of me just wanted to get to the finish as well. But apparently, fast enough.”

For the Slovenian, it was particularly rewarding because of the role her mom plays on her team: ski technician.

“It’s really nice to have my mom around all the time,” she said. “I’m really glad that she does that even though it’s really hard work and it gets really tiring for her, but in the moments like this, I think everything is repaid.”

The Slovenian now leads in the alpine combined and downhill standings. Behind her in the race was Gisin, who came up with a new word to describe her emotions after earning her first World Cup podium.

“Amazing – I feel champagned,” she said excitedly. “I invented a new word because Ilka, when she opened the bottle, it was all in my eyes, so I couldn’t see and I just started to cry and run around the girls. But it’s so cool, I’m so happy, just overwhelming joy.”

The Swiss athlete admitted that it hasn’t been an easy start to the season, saying that she lost her confidence after Killington. However, thanks to the people who support her, she was able to enjoy the freedom of skiing again and get her groove back.

The Italian who accompanied her on the podium seems to have found her groove in every event she competes in. Goggia’s third place finish today marked her fifth World Cup podium. She has now earned a top-3 result in giant slalom, super-G, downhill and alpine combined, all in this season.

“It feels great,” she shared. “No other words needed. Great.”

True to form, when asked about future goals and a potential run for the overall title, she said she does not want to focus on the future.

“You know my philosophy of living: I’m just focusing day by day,” she said. “Tomorrow is another race, and tomorrow I’m going to do my best in downhill. But of course I’m not thinking of the overall. It’s so far away, I can’t see it.”

Even if she can’t see it, Friday’s results put her in second place in the overall rankings, just 91 points behind American Mikaela Shiffrin and 14 points ahead of Switzerland’s Lara Gut, who did not finish the slalom run in the alpine combined.

American Laurenne Ross might be looking ahead to tomorrow with excitement after showing her speed in the downhill portion of the alpine combined. The U.S. Ski Team athlete won the run and ultimately ended the day in 10th place, her second-best result ever in the discipline. Teammate Jacqueline Wiles finished the day in 32nd while Breezy Johnson did not start second run and Stacey Cook did not finish first run.

The women’s World Cup races continue on Saturday with the downhill race.


Top 10

  1. Ilka Stuhec (SLO) – Stoeckli / Lange / Marker
  2. Michelle Gisin (SUI) – Rossignol / Rossignol / Rossignol
  3. Sofia Goggia (ITA) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
  4. Wendy Holdener (SUI) – Head / Head / Head
  5. Michaela Kirchgasser (AUT) – Atomic / Atomic / Atomic
  6. Federica Brignone (ITA) – Rossignol / Rossignol / Rossignol
  7. Denise Feierabend (SUI) – Head / Head / Head
  8. Anne-Sophie Barthet (FRA) – Head / Head / Head
  9. Rosina Schneeberger (AUT) – Voelkl / Marker /Lange
  10. Laurenne Ross (USA) – Voelkl / Marker / Dalbello

Official Results

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time Diff. FIS Points
 1  8  565360 STUHEC Ilka 1990 SLO  2:40.33  0.00
 2  23  516284 GISIN Michelle 1993 SUI  2:40.45  +0.12  0.86
 3  20  298323 GOGGIA Sofia 1992 ITA  2:40.49  +0.16  1.15
 4  5  516280 HOLDENER Wendy 1993 SUI  2:40.91  +0.58  4.16
 5  7  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT  2:40.96  +0.63  4.52
 6  10  297601 BRIGNONE Federica 1990 ITA  2:41.00  +0.67  4.81
 7  9  515997 FEIERABEND Denise 1989 SUI  2:41.69  +1.36  9.75
 8  17  196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie 1988 FRA  2:42.24  +1.91  13.70
 9  22  56241 SCHNEEBERGER Rosina 1994 AUT  2:42.66  +2.33  16.71
 10  12  538573 ROSS Laurenne 1988 USA  2:42.81  +2.48  17.79
 11  36  56198 SCHEYER Christine 1994 AUT  2:42.92  +2.59  18.58
 12  2  565320 FERK Marusa 1988 SLO  2:43.17  +2.84  20.37
 13  29  56087 SIEBENHOFER Ramona 1991 AUT  2:43.18  +2.85  20.44
 14  19  196928 WORLEY Tessa 1989 FRA  2:43.20  +2.87  20.59
 15  11  296427 SCHNARF Johanna 1984 ITA  2:43.40  +3.07  22.02
 16  13  425929 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild 1992 NOR  2:43.53  +3.20  22.95
 17  14  505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE  2:43.57  +3.24  23.24
 18  18  56128 HUETTER Cornelia 1992 AUT  2:43.72  +3.39  24.32
 19  26  56224 MAIER Sabrina 1994 AUT  2:43.74  +3.41  24.46
 20  30  516219 NUFER Priska 1992 SUI  2:43.79  +3.46  24.82
 21  3  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele 1989 CAN  2:43.93  +3.60  25.82
 22  21  56125 PUCHNER Mirjam 1992 AUT  2:44.15  +3.82  27.40
 23  34  426043 TVIBERG Maria Therese 1994 NOR  2:44.38  +4.05  29.05
 24  35  315187 IGNJATOVIC Nevena 1990 SRB  2:44.45  +4.12  29.55
 25  32  196812 PELLISSIER Marion 1988 FRA  2:44.97  +4.64  33.28
 26  16  516344 KOPP Rahel 1994 SUI  2:45.27  +4.94  35.43
 27  40  56177 VENIER Stephanie 1993 AUT  2:45.28  +4.95  35.50
 28  33  565401 BUCIK Ana 1993 SLO  2:45.48  +5.15  36.94
 29  47  516319 SUTER Corinne 1994 SUI  2:45.68  +5.35  38.37
 30  24  299466 DELAGO Nicol 1996 ITA  2:45.94  +5.61  40.24
 31  38  56258 AGER Christina 1995 AUT  2:45.95  +5.62  40.31
 32  44  539536 WILES Jacqueline 1992 USA  2:46.09  +5.76  41.31
 33  6  565333 BRODNIK Vanja 1989 SLO  2:46.50  +6.17  44.26
 34  48  197641 GAUCHE Laura 1995 FRA  2:47.16  +6.83  48.99
 35  37  297195 HOFER Anna 1988 ITA  2:47.21  +6.88  49.35
 36  41  56328 ORTLIEB Nina 1996 AUT  2:47.59  +7.26  52.07
 37  39  206460 WENIG Michaela 1992 GER  2:48.04  +7.71  55.30
 38  49  35089 SIMARI BIRKNER Macarena 1984 ARG  2:51.59  +11.26  80.76
Disqualified 2nd run
 42  206668 WEIDLE Kira 1996 GER
Disqualified 1st run
 31  355050 WEIRATHER Tina 1989 LIE
Did not start 2nd run
 51  245066 MIKLOS Edit 1988 HUN
 50  6535455 JOHNSON Breezy 1996 USA
 43  516185 HAEHLEN Joana 1992 SUI
Did not finish 2nd run
 46  375018 COLETTI Alexandra 1983 MON
 15  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca 1990 ITA
 1  516138 GUT Lara 1991 SUI
Did not finish 1st run
 52  107613 GRENIER Valerie 1996 CAN
 45  537582 COOK Stacey 1984 USA
 28  297910 CURTONI Elena 1991 ITA
 27  206520 DORSCH Patrizia 1994 GER
 25  299276 BASSINO Marta 1996 ITA
 4  196968 BAILET Margot 1990 FRA

 

 

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About the Author: Gabbi Hall

A California native, Gabbi moved to Vermont to ski on the NCAA circuit for St. Michael’s College, where she served as team captain and studied journalism. Before joining Ski Racing, she worked as a broadcast TV producer and social media manager in higher education. She can be reached via email at gabbi@skiracing.com