Another awesome day unfolded in Colorado for racing, as the women showcased their skills in the super-G event on the prestigious Birds of Prey course in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
This marked only the second occasion in history that a super-G event had occurred in Beaver Creek, but the first time it was on a different track.
Historically, this hill has been designated for men’s World Cup speed competitions, but this weekend the location is now making history by featuring women’s speed events.
The women competed in the downhill yesterday for the first time on the track and closed out the two-weekend Stifel Birds of Prey event with a thrilling super-G.
The course set was punchable from the beginning, so the women could not hold anything back. They needed to let it go in the flatter sections, stay technically sound and nail the direction over the blind spots.
Goggia Back At It
The Italian “speed queen,” Sofia Goggia, unveiled incredible confidence coming back to super-G competition. The Olympian went full-send throughout the entire course in her normal style of pushing the line, which paid off, earning her 7th World Cup super-G victory of her career.
Goggia’s composure and confidence was extremely impressive, as these are her first races back from a severe fracture in her tibia and malleolus of her right foot. “Once a bone is healed, I don’t let it hold me back—it’s like nothing happened,” she explained.
Goggia stated, “My run was a really good one.”
“Today I felt happy, and I brought my joy of skiing,” Goggia continued.
She came into the finish arena, kicking off her skis, and expressed her excitement by dancing, which she referred to as “stirring the polenta.”
Goggia’s teammate, Federica Brignone who achieved 5th place today explained the strength of the Italian team. She stated, “We are a strong team. We’re good skiers. So training with the team is always high level, so we are competitive.”
The Podium
Lara Gut-Behrami concluded the day in 2nd place (+0.48), adding to her extensive podium achievements. The Swiss athlete has won three of the past four super-G Crystal Globe titles, including both of the past two seasons. Thus, she was hoping to secure the first win of 2025.
From the beginning to the end, Gut-Behrami was pushing it. She remained technically strong throughout the course and nailed the line coming over the blind spots. However, it was not enough to secure the top of the podium.
Gut Behrami explained, “Today it was a mixed run, and I had a little problem on the top. I couldn’t really find the right rhythm. But from the middle I made a change, and it was a little better than the top.”
Being a veteran on the World Cup circuit and having years of experience under her belt, she stated, “It is a little different because I started when I was a kid. So at that point I was enjoying what I was doing but had no idea what was going on and what was expected of me. Now I am at the end of my career and have kids at home, so it is different for me.”
Ariane Raedler of Austria impressively punched into third place, 0.55 behind Goggia’s lead. Raedler has been racing World Cup super-G since 2019.
Before the race today, the 29-year-old achieved six top-10 results in the discipline, including one podium finish. This marks her second podium finish and a promising start to her 2025 season.
Macuga Shines Again on the Birds of Prey
Stifel US Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga captured her career-best result yesterday in the first-ever women’s downhill on the Birds of Prey, and you could see the confidence she carried onto the track today.
The first U.S. athlete out of the start in the super-G took a risky, direct line that caused her to be late in certain key sections of the course. Nevertheless, she held on, continuing to attack from panel to panel, pushing her limits. She finished the day in 12th place, the top U.S. athlete.
She stated, “I was really late the entire way down. It was really good skiing, but I kept getting late. I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it.’ It was still a pretty decent run, even though through a few turns I was late.”
Macuga has shown impressive speed and strength in super-G. She has achieved seven top-20 results in the discipline, securing her first top-5 result last season.
North Americans Securing Super-G Points
Her teammates, Keely Cashman and Breezy Johnson joined Macuga in the top 30.
After Nadia Delago’s crash, Keely Cashman had to remain composed at the top of the race course as she was held there. Fortunately, Delago skied down uninjured, but a gate needed repair.
Impressively, Cashman looked unfazed by the hold-up as she ignited onto the race course. The Stifel US Ski Team athlete expected a lot of herself, so she took a straighter line than some of her teammates aiming to find a spot on the leaderboard. Cashman was able to achieve a 21st place finish, earning the Stifel Bibbo Award.
Cashman stated, “standing in the start for a little while actually helped me calm down and gave me time to gather my thoughts. I felt good about my run.”
Breezy Johnson coming back from a suspension by the Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after missing three whereabouts tests in a year concluded the day in 28th place. She was running a strong line from the start, but got pushed late at the end of the course, which cost her some time. Nevertheless, this was a promising result for her second race back.
Other North Americans Gaining Experience on the New Track
Teammate Bella Wright skied aggressively right out of the start gate and was attacking the panels. She, unfortunately, went a little too straight on the bottom and had to throw herself around the next gate, fighting to finish. With that mistake, she finished the day outside of the top 30.
Jacqualine Wiles and Tricia Mangan, both athletes of the Stifel US Ski Team, got hit with blustering winds at the top of the course but impressively pushed through. Despite their efforts, they found it challenging to regain their confidence and couldn’t close the gap, ultimately finishing outside the top 30.
Haley Cutler kicked out of her second World Cup race wearing bib-42. Although she was unable to secure points, this was a stellar experience for the U.S. athlete.
Lindsey Vonn Forerunning
Lindsey Vonn returned to the World Cup track as a forerunner for this Stifel Birds of Prey event. The Stifel US Ski Team athlete is really excited to be racing again pain-free and is thrilled to return to competition.
After her super-G forerun, she stated, “I thought it was really fun, and I thought I skied it pretty well. I made a little mistake on the bottom, but it is really hard in super-G to not have a course report because you don’t know how the speeds are going to be. But I think it was a really solid run.”
“I think today was a little more of a send than yesterday. I think yesterday was 80%, and today, I think it was a little more like 90%,” Vonn explained.
She gave the course report for Macuga before her run.
Macuga stated, “She has so much knowledge on all the speed and everything. So, just being able to talk to her through all of that is really helpful, and her course report definitely helps.”
Vonn will return to competing against the field in the St. Moritz super-G next weekend.
Mikaela Shiffrin Still Facing Injury Setbacks
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team star, Mikaela Shiffrin, was missed during the super-G today. The G.O.A.T. is still suffering from injury setbacks from her crash earlier this season.
Shiffrin unfortunately had to go back in for surgery and stated in a recent post, “Turns out I had a little cavity deeper than the wound tract that was filled with old hematoma and wasn’t properly draining with wound vac or normal packing. So, we went in to wash it out and close it with sutures and a little JP drain to keep the drainage flowing.”
She is still unsure of when she will be able to come back to competition, but hopefully this procedure will be a step forward for Shiffrin.
Top 30 Race Results
Top Three Analysis
North American Analysis
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
