After silver streak, Brem strikes gold in Courchevel

By Published On: December 20th, 2015Comments Off on After silver streak, Brem strikes gold in Courchevel

On Sunday, Austria’s Eva-Maria Brem could have become the second woman in the last 18 years to finish in second place in three successive giant slalom races. Instead, she opted for something a little more flashy in Courchevel, France: her second World Cup win ever and a pretty epic, blue sparkle victory helmet.

“Sometimes it felt too long (between victories), but I just tried to be patient and keep working hard,” Brem said. “I always had the feeling that one day it would be a win again, but I need to be patient. Today was the day, and I’m so happy.”

Patience and experience paid off for her. She said the last two years of World Cup racing experience helped her “get through it, keep calm, and just keep working.”

Behind her were two familiar faces on the World Cup podium, Nina Loeseth of Norway and Lara Gut of Switzerland, who tied for second place 0.17 seconds off of Brem. But this was Loeseth’s first World Cup giant slalom podium finish – something that seemed perhaps inevitable given her increasingly strong performances in the discipline this season, skiing to 18th in Soelden, sixth in Aspen, and most recently fifth in Are. 

“I was a bit shocked, I have to say, but my GS has been very consistent and very strong the last month and a half,” Loeseth said. “But to have a podium and a second place, my best career result ever, I’m very happy.”

Loeseth credits her career-best finish to all of the puzzle pieces finally fitting together.

“I think I’m just figuring everything out: how me and my coach are working together, it’s working really great, how the whole team around me, my service guy, and everybody, everything seems to be falling into place and it’s a really good feeling,” she continued.

As for Gut, this marks her second giant slalom podium of the season, and it helped her make a move in the overall standings, where she now holds the lead – 58 points ahead of American Lindsey Vonn.

Vonn, who won the GS in Are, Sweden, a week earlier, finished in 10th, unable to take advantage of the gorgeous spring-like weather and feeling less than stellar after a mishap in the Val d’Isere downhill the day before.

“I didn’t really feel very balanced today,” Vonn said. “I think I just rung my bell a little bit yesterday. … It was an effort, a good effort. I tried really hard and I got some points, so that’s good.”

Vonn was the lone American in the final run. Independent skier Megan McJames finished 54th on the first run and Stacey Cook — a speed specialist — had a fast top split and ended up immediately behind McJames in 55th.

“I mean it’s definitely weird,” Vonn said of the virtually non-existent U.S. tech team. “In Are, I was the only person racing, so it’s weird to not have a tech team. But I’m psyched that Stacey was here today. It was nice to have another teammate on the hill for at least one run.”

The “weird” didn’t stop there. World Cup GS points leader, Fredrica Brignone of Italy, failed to finish the race. She had a strong first run, but crossed her tips and skied out on the second. But on one athlete’s worst day, another might turn an inspired performance. Carmen Thalmann of Austria made a huge jump, moving from bib 45 to 11th place – earning 24 World Cup points in the process — just behind teammate Michaela Kirchgasser, who finished 10th.

The women’s circuit will take a short break for the holidays as athletes relax and spend time with family. The tour picks up again on Dec. 28 in Lienz, Austria, for another giant slalom.

Three happy girls wishing you Merry Christmas!! ???? Thx everyone for your support here in ??!

A photo posted by Lara Gut (@laragutofficial) on

View more photos from today’s race here.

Fans can stay current on the World Cup circuit by downloading the new U.S. Ski Team iOS app powered by Ski Racing here.


The Scoop
By Hank McKee

1. Brem, Volkl/Fischer/Marker

2. Loseth, Volkl/Lange/Marker

2. Gut, Head/Head/Head

4. Rebensburg, Stockli/Lange/Atomic

5. Pietilae-Holmner, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

6. Goggia, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

7. Drev, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

8. Weirather,  Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

9. Hansdotter, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

10. Kirchgasser, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

  • Women’s World Cup giant slalom, Courchevel, France, Dec. 20, 2015. … It is the 12th race of the women’s 41 race World Cup schedule …the fourth of nine scheduled GSs. … It is the second of three GSs being held in 16 days.
  • It is the second career World Cup win for Eva-Maria Brem, the first having come at Aspen Nov. 29, 2014. … She had been second in GS twice previously this season (Aspen Nov. 27 and Are Dec. 12). … It is the first win of the season for the Austrian women’s team. … Winning margin is .17 of a second. … Top eight skiers are within the same second.
  • It is a career best placing for Nina Loeseth and her third career podium. … She had recorded a third in slalom at Zagreb Jan. 4, 2015 and a third in slalom at Are Dec. 13.
  • It is the 24th career World Cup podium for Lara Gut and her fourth of the season (the other three all wins).
  • It is the 26th best of 36 GS results for Lindsey Vonn and marks her first double-digit placing of the season in six completed races. … Marie-Michele Gagnon matches her 44th best of 86 career scoring finishes. … It is her second best of five results this season. … It is the third score of the season for Marie-Pier Prefontaine, all in GS.
  • Gut leads the World Cup overall standings 558-500 over Vonn (13th in race). … Frida Hansdotter (ninth in race) is third overall with 344pts. … Mikaela Shiffrin (did not race) is fifth overall with 296pts.
  • Brem leads the GS standings 292-250 over Gut. … Federica Brignone (DNF 2nd) is third with 220pts. … Vonn is ninth at 120pts.
  • Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup standings 1563-1230 over Switzerland. … The U.S. is third with 1112 pts. … Canada is eighth with 345pts.

Official Results

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time Diff. FIS Points
 1  7  55898 BREM Eva-Maria 1988 AUT  1:01.29  1:00.43  2:01.72  0.00
 2  14  425771 LOESETH Nina 1989 NOR  1:01.59  1:00.30  2:01.89  +0.17  1.37
 2  2  516138 GUT Lara 1991 SUI  1:01.38  1:00.51  2:01.89  +0.17  1.37
 4  5  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria 1989 GER  1:01.72  1:00.38  2:02.10  +0.38  3.06
 5  15  505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria 1986 SWE  1:02.09  1:00.31  2:02.40  +0.68  5.47
 6  23  298323 GOGGIA Sofia 1992 ITA  1:02.88  59.54  2:02.42  +0.70  5.64
 7  18  565268 DREV Ana 1985 SLO  1:02.86  59.66  2:02.52  +0.80  6.44
 8  4  355050 WEIRATHER Tina 1989 LIE  1:02.56  1:00.09  2:02.65  +0.93  7.49
 9  9  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE  1:02.02  1:00.74  2:02.76  +1.04  8.37
 10  12  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT  1:01.82  1:01.18  2:03.00  +1.28  10.31
 11  45  55977 THALMANN Carmen 1989 AUT  1:02.61  1:00.45  2:03.06  +1.34  10.79
 12  17  197319 BAUD MUGNIER Adeline 1992 FRA  1:02.98  1:00.24  2:03.22  +1.50  12.08
 13  10  537544 VONN Lindsey 1984 USA  1:02.18  1:01.17  2:03.35  +1.63  13.12
 14  25  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele 1989 CAN  1:02.84  1:00.61  2:03.45  +1.73  13.93
 15  50  56315 TRUPPE Katharina 1996 AUT  1:04.13  59.34  2:03.47  +1.75  14.09
 16  13  296509 CURTONI Irene 1985 ITA  1:03.29  1:00.24  2:03.53  +1.81  14.57
 17  22  196793 MARMOTTAN Anemone 1988 FRA  1:03.48  1:00.49  2:03.97  +2.25  18.12
 18  39  56087 SIEBENHOFER Ramona 1991 AUT  1:03.96  1:00.06  2:04.02  +2.30  18.52
 19  16  106825 PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier 1988 CAN  1:03.59  1:00.62  2:04.21  +2.49  20.05
 20  37  56217 BRUNNER Stephanie 1994 AUT  1:03.45  1:00.94  2:04.39  +2.67  21.50
 21  27  196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie 1988 FRA  1:03.56  1:00.95  2:04.51  +2.79  22.46
 22  29  516280 HOLDENER Wendy 1993 SUI  1:03.86  1:00.69  2:04.55  +2.83  22.79
 23  32  565331 LAVTAR Katarina 1988 SLO  1:04.28  1:00.80  2:05.08  +3.36  27.05
 24  20  196725 BARIOZ Taina 1988 FRA  1:03.42  1:01.80  2:05.22  +3.50  28.18
 25  19  425929 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild 1992 NOR  1:03.80  1:01.53  2:05.33  +3.61  29.07
Did not start 1st run
 59  315187 IGNJATOVIC Nevena 1990 SRB
Did not qualify for 2nd run
 64  537582 COOK Stacey 1984 USA
 62  35156 BANCORA Salome 1993 ARG
 61  516504 DANIOTH Aline 1998 SUI
 58  405138 JELINKOVA Adriana 1995 NED
 57  298904 CILLARA ROSSI Valentina 1994 ITA
 56  435334 GASIENICA-DANIEL Maryna 1994 POL
 55  565360 STUHEC Ilka 1990 SLO
 54  516284 GISIN Michelle 1993 SUI
 53  197616 ALPHAND Estelle 1995 FRA
 52  565373 ROBNIK Tina 1991 SLO
 51  197215 MASSIOS Marie 1992 FRA
 49  506350 EKLUND Nathalie 1992 SWE
 48  197651 DIREZ Clara 1995 FRA
 47  516344 KOPP Rahel 1994 SUI
 46  538284 MCJAMES Megan 1987 USA
 44  516394 SUTER Jasmina 1995 SUI
 43  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth 1991 NOR
 42  197124 FRASSE SOMBET Coralie 1991 FRA
 41  485563 PROSTEVA Elena 1990 RUS
 40  56328 ORTLIEB Nina 1996 AUT
 38  155699 PAULATHOVA Katerina 1993 CZE
 36  107532 TOMMY Mikaela 1995 CAN
 35  298694 PICHLER Karoline 1994 ITA
 34  225525 TILLEY Alexandra 1993 GBR
 33  56174 HAASER Ricarda 1993 AUT
 28  516268 WILD Simone 1993 SUI
 26  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca 1990 ITA
 24  505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE
 21  297910 CURTONI Elena 1991 ITA
 8  296259 MOELGG Manuela 1983 ITA
Did not finish 2nd run
 30  306249 HASEGAWA Emi 1986 JPN
 11  299276 BASSINO Marta 1996 ITA
 6  297601 BRIGNONE Federica 1990 ITA
 3  296729 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA
 1  196928 WORLEY Tessa 1989 FRA
Did not finish 1st run
 63  155503 KLICNAROVA Pavla 1988 CZE
 60  206520 DORSCH Patrizia 1994 GER
 31  56128 HUETTER Cornelia 1992 AUT

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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