Alice Robinson / GEPA pictures
Robinson Leads Tremblant First Run as Zenere Surges From Bib 22
TREMblant, Quebec — Under early blue skies and on a firmer, faster surface than Saturday, the world’s best giant slalom skiers delivered an outstanding first run Sunday at Mont-Tremblant. Visibility stayed clear through the early part of the race, even as overcast skies arrived. The surface held well, producing excellent skiing across the field and setting up a dramatic second run with six skiers within a second of the lead.
Robinson and Scheib Set the Standard
New Zealand’s Alice Robinson attacked the opening run with her trademark power, balance, and clean pressure, taking the lead in 1:07.44. She once again proved she can dominate any surface and any condition.
Austria’s Julia Scheib, her biggest rival this season, delivered exactly the response expected from one of the world’s top GS skiers. After skiing out yesterday, she returned with a brilliant, composed run to sit second, just 0.16 behind Robinson. With both athletes in peak form, the winner will likely emerge from these two — but the gap is close enough to fuel real second-run drama.
O’Brien Leads a Strong North American Morning
Stifel U.S. Ski Team skier Nina O’Brien kept her momentum rolling. She matched the terrain well, used great timing through the rolls, and crossed 0.52 behind Robinson in third, her best opening-run position of the season.
Teammate Mikaela Shiffrin, the most successful GS skier in history, delivered top-to-bottom speed. She led through three sectors before losing time at the bottom pitch, finishing 0.72 back in sixth, and firmly in contention.
Canada’s Britt Richardson again lit up the home crowd. She pushed from the start, but she handled the changing terrain well and powered into eighth at +1.08, reinforcing her rising GS credentials and carrying the hopes of the Tremblant fans.
Grenier’s Charge Ends Early
Home star Valerie Grenier, yesterday’s emotional third-place finisher, opened her run with the energy of an athlete aiming for another podium. She skied fast through the first three sectors before her outside ski let go, sending her onto her hip and out of the race.
“Yesterday was a dream. I still can’t really believe it,” Grenier said.
“I felt confident today too and could just ski freely. It’s too bad, but the speed is there.” — Valerie Grenier
The finish-area crowd greeted her with warmth, recognizing the excellence she showed all weekend.
Zenere Stuns the Field From Bib 22
Italy’s Asja Zenere produced one of the most electrifying runs of the morning. Starting from bib 22, she attacked with full commitment, carrying speed off every roll and absorbing the terrain with fluid timing. She crossed 0.64 behind Robinson, good for fourth — a huge performance and a major storyline heading into the second run.
“I woke up with a lot of back pain and thought it would be really hard today,” Zenere said.
“But when I ski well, the pain is less. The set was perfect for me, and I’m really happy.” — Asja Zenere
Hector and Rast Hold Strong
Sweden’s Sara Hector, the Olympic GS champion, delivered another clean and confident run to sit seventh at +0.76. Switzerland’s Camille Rast followed her strong skiing from Saturday with the fifth fastest time at +0.65.
With Hector, Rast, Shiffrin, O’Brien, Zenere, and Scheib all inside the top six, the day’s front group is tightly packed and capable of big movement in the second run.
High-Bib Skiers Break Through Again
For the second straight day, the high bibs made a major impact. Six women who started with bib 31 or higher qualified for the second run:
- Sue Piller — SUI — Bib 36 — 20th — +1.68
- Fabiana Dorigo — GER — Bib 33 — 23rd — +2.29
- Victoria Olivier — AUT — Bib 37 — 25th — +2.33
- Viktoria Buergler — AUT — Bib 41 — 26th — +2.37
- Hilma Loewblom — SWE — Bib 32 — 28th — +2.45
- Vanessa Kasper — SUI — Bib 31 — 28th — +2.45
Fastest high bib: Piller (36)
Highest bib to qualify: Buergler (41)
The consistency of these late-number performances mirrors Saturday’s race, showing how well the course held up.
Looking Ahead
With the two best GS skiers in the world at the top, six athletes within a second, and several high-bib qualifiers ready to charge, the second run promises speed, risk, and real movement. Robinson and Scheib enter as the favorites — but Sunday’s field is deep, confident, and ready to attack.
First Run top thirty results
Click images to enlarge
Run Analysis of the Leaders and North American Qualifiers
About the Author: Peter Lange
