Vonn floors Sweden with first giant slalom victory since 2013

By Published On: December 12th, 2015Comments Off on Vonn floors Sweden with first giant slalom victory since 2013

As the lights came on in Are, Sweden, for the second run, the FIS Alpine women’s World Cup giant slalom heated up. Dimming sunlight, high winds and snow flurries could not slow down the day’s ultimate winner, Lindsey Vonn – who claimed victory in her first giant slalom race since 2013 in Maribor, Slovenia, and her fourth World Cup race in a row.

Her tactic to conserve her first run lead during a second pass down the slope under the lights?

“I tried to be smart on the bottom where it was turny and some of the girls had some trouble,” she said. “I think I may have given away too much time there, but still I was attacking the whole time trying to arc and I was fast.”

The course threw a curve ball at some of the athletes mid-way down: a right-footer on a breakover drew the competition into lower lines and slower speeds. As winner of the first run, Vonn had the advantage of watching others ski the course first to devise a strategic plan. 

This was particularly helpful because, as a predominant speed skier, Vonn came into the race without much time on her GS skis so far this season.

“I haven’t done really any GS training,” she said. “I got one day in Lake Louise on Tuesday, but haven’t really skied since then. Yesterday, the snow wasn’t very good for warmup so I didn’t do anything. It’s basically just going off of confidence.”

And experience.

“I feel like I’m not maybe as agile as I used to be. I’m not maybe as explosive, but at the same time I know my ability and I know what I can do and I know under different situations what is required of me,” Vonn said. “And, so, I knew today it was going to take two really good, aggressive runs and my experience paid off and I was able to win.”

Vonn’s confidence, smart tactics and past experience training under the lights in Minnesota as a junior racer allowed her to edge out Austria’s Eva-Maria Brem for the second giant slalom win in Are of her career.

“Yes, I’m surprised because I haven’t skied very much,” noted Vonn. “I was hoping to be in the top three, but at the same time, I knew that if I could arc and ski aggressively that I could win because I’ve done it here before.”

Brem, who finished with a combined time just 0.07 seconds behind Vonn, also has a successful track record on the Swedish slope with four of her nine World Cup podiums coming on the hill.

“If I could wish for a slope, it wouldn’t be Are,” Brem told reporters. “But I don’t know, it just works out … Are and me. It’s kind of a nice relationship, I think. I love the city, the small city, and the people and it’s nice. … Everything’s fine with Are and me.”

Giant slalom leader Frederica Brignone skied into the final spot on the podium by winning the second run, collecting her third consecutive World Cup GS podium this season.

Two suprise performances of the day came from Switzerland’s Simone Wild – who moved from bib 45 to finishing in eighth place – and Slovenia’s Tina Robnik – who skied from bib 53 to finish 15th. For both of these women, it was their first time qualifying for a second run in a World Cup GS.

The only other American athlete slated to compete in the giant slalom was pre-race favorite Mikaela Shiffrin, but she was forced to pull out prior to her start with a possible right knee injury sustained during the morning warmup. While freeskiing on the race slope prior to the start, Shiffrin fell and slid into the protective netting. She was taken to the hospital in Oestersund for further evaluation and official details will be released pending an MRI this afternoon, but her name was removed from the start board for Sunday’s slalom.

The World Cup women will race slalom tomorrow in Are, starting at 10:30 a.m. local time.

To view more photos from this race click 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. Vonn, Head/Head/Head
  2. Brem, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
  3. Brignone, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
  4. Worley, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  5. Loeseth, Volkl/Lange/Marker
  6. Hansdotter, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  7. Pietilae-Holmner, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
  8. Wild, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
  9. Bassino, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
  10. Barioz, Head/Head/Head
  • Women’s World Cup giant slalom, Are, Sweden, Dec. 12, 2016. … It is the eighth of 41 races on the women’s schedule … the third of nine giant slaloms. … It is the 96th World Cup race hosted by Are … the 33rd GS.
  • Winning margin is 0.07. … Top seven are within the same second. … It is the 71st career World Cup win for Lindsey Vonn, the all-time leader in World Cup victories. … It is her fourth GS win, the first since Jan 26, 2013 at Maribor. … It is her second GS win at Are having previously won March 9, 2012. … It is her fourth win of the season in four completed races. … It is the 294th U.S. World Cup win, the seventh of the season.
  • It is the ninth career World Cup podium result for Eva-Maria Brem … all in GS. … She has been on the podium in all three GSs held this season. … It is her fourth podium at Are.
  • It is the 10th career World Cup podium for Federica Brignone … her third of the season.
  • It is the 25th career scoring result for Marie-Pier Prefontaine … her fourth at Are and her second of the season.
  • Vonn holds the lead of the World Cup overall standings 400-296 over Mikaela Shiffrin (did not race). … Lara Gut is third overall with 278pts.
  • Brignone leads the GS standings 220-193 over Brem with Gut in third with 170pts. … Vonn is fifth at 100.
  • Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup standings 952-897 over the U.S. … Italy is third with 874.  … Canada sits seventh with 255pts.

Official Results

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time Diff. FIS Points
 1  16  537544 VONN Lindsey 1984 USA  1:03.29  1:01.41  2:04.70  0.00
 2  6  55898 BREM Eva-Maria 1988 AUT  1:03.64  1:01.13  2:04.77  +0.07  0.55
 3  3  297601 BRIGNONE Federica 1990 ITA  1:03.98  1:01.07  2:05.05  +0.35  2.75
 4  10  196928 WORLEY Tessa 1989 FRA  1:03.79  1:01.59  2:05.38  +0.68  5.34
 5  8  425771 LOESETH Nina 1989 NOR  1:03.70  1:01.77  2:05.47  +0.77  6.05
 6  13  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE  1:03.62  1:02.02  2:05.64  +0.94  7.39
 7  11  505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria 1986 SWE  1:04.18  1:01.86  2:06.04  +1.34  10.53
 8  45  516268 WILD Simone 1993 SUI  1:04.73  1:01.52  2:06.25  +1.55  12.18
 9  19  299276 BASSINO Marta 1996 ITA  1:04.40  1:01.95  2:06.35  +1.65  12.97
 10  23  196725 BARIOZ Taina 1988 FRA  1:04.93  1:01.52  2:06.45  +1.75  13.75
 11  7  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria 1989 GER  1:04.68  1:01.83  2:06.51  +1.81  14.22
 12  21  565268 DREV Ana 1985 SLO  1:04.13  1:02.41  2:06.54  +1.84  14.46
 13  15  516138 GUT Lara 1991 SUI  1:04.60  1:02.08  2:06.68  +1.98  15.56
 14  12  296259 MOELGG Manuela 1983 ITA  1:04.93  1:01.99  2:06.92  +2.22  17.45
 15  53  565373 ROBNIK Tina 1991 SLO  1:05.15  1:01.83  2:06.98  +2.28  17.92
 16  9  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT  1:04.86  1:02.17  2:07.03  +2.33  18.31
 17  2  355050 WEIRATHER Tina 1989 LIE  1:04.67  1:02.38  2:07.05  +2.35  18.47
 18  38  516280 HOLDENER Wendy 1993 SUI  1:05.29  1:01.88  2:07.17  +2.47  19.41
 19  20  197319 BAUD MUGNIER Adeline 1992 FRA  1:04.41  1:02.84  2:07.25  +2.55  20.04
 20  24  196793 MARMOTTAN Anemone 1988 FRA  1:05.15  1:02.40  2:07.55  +2.85  22.40
 21  28  298323 GOGGIA Sofia 1992 ITA  1:04.89  1:02.67  2:07.56  +2.86  22.48
 22  51  506350 EKLUND Nathalie 1992 SWE  1:05.63  1:01.99  2:07.62  +2.92  22.95
 23  29  196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie 1988 FRA  1:05.47  1:02.26  2:07.73  +3.03  23.81
 23  14  296509 CURTONI Irene 1985 ITA  1:05.20  1:02.53  2:07.73  +3.03  23.81
 25  43  197124 FRASSE SOMBET Coralie 1991 FRA  1:05.53  1:02.26  2:07.79  +3.09  24.28
 26  42  56217 BRUNNER Stephanie 1994 AUT  1:05.29  1:02.62  2:07.91  +3.21  25.23
 27  27  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca 1990 ITA  1:04.98  1:03.42  2:08.40  +3.70  29.08
 28  17  106825 PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier 1988 CAN  1:05.28  1:03.27  2:08.55  +3.85  30.26
 29  49  516344 KOPP Rahel 1994 SUI  1:05.55  1:03.21  2:08.76  +4.06  31.91
Did not start 1st run
 5  6535237 SHIFFRIN Mikaela 1995 USA
Did not qualify for 2nd run
 65  555018 GASUNA Lelde 1990 LAT
 64  95050 KIRKOVA Maria 1986 BUL
 63  705423 VLHOVA Petra 1995 SVK
 62  35156 BANCORA Salome 1993 ARG
 59  56032 SCHILD Bernadette 1990 AUT
 58  506341 WIKSTROEM Emelie 1992 SWE
 57  516334 CHABLE Charlotte 1994 SUI
 56  435313 MAJERCZYK Sabina 1993 POL
 55  205239 WIRTH Barbara 1989 GER
 54  197616 ALPHAND Estelle 1995 FRA
 52  56315 TRUPPE Katharina 1996 AUT
 48  55977 THALMANN Carmen 1989 AUT
 47  516394 SUTER Jasmina 1995 SUI
 46  206444 HOESL Simona 1992 GER
 41  56328 ORTLIEB Nina 1996 AUT
 40  206355 DUERR Lena 1991 GER
 36  298694 PICHLER Karoline 1994 ITA
 33  56174 HAASER Ricarda 1993 AUT
 30  306249 HASEGAWA Emi 1986 JPN
 22  297910 CURTONI Elena 1991 ITA
Did not finish 2nd run
 26  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele 1989 CAN
Did not finish 1st run
 61  565401 BUCIK Ana 1993 SLO
 60  315187 IGNJATOVIC Nevena 1990 SRB
 50  197651 DIREZ Clara 1995 FRA
 44  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth 1991 NOR
 39  155699 PAULATHOVA Katerina 1993 CZE
 37  107532 TOMMY Mikaela 1995 CAN
 35  506348 STAALNACKE Ylva 1992 SWE
 34  225525 TILLEY Alexandra 1993 GBR
 32  565331 LAVTAR Katarina 1988 SLO
 31  298124 AGNELLI Nicole 1992 ITA
 25  505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE
 18  425929 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild 1992 NOR
 4  296729 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA
 1  506399 HECTOR Sara 1992 SWE

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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