Lara Gut-Behrami mastered a tricky World Cup super-G on Sunday where several top racers were caught out at two jumps.
On a picture postcard minus-3 Celsius (27 Fahrenheit) day in the Swiss Alps, home favorite Gut-Behrami finished 0.93 seconds faster than Tamara Tippler. Federica Brignone, the defending overall World Cup champion, was 1.02 back in third.
Click to Gallery
Lara Gut-Behrami mastered a tricky World Cup super-G on Sunday where several top racers were caught out at two jumps.
Five of the top 20 highest-ranked starters skied out or were disqualified Sunday, including Sofia Goggia who won downhills on the Mont Lachaux slope the previous two days.
World Cup overall standings leader Petra Vlhova had the No. 1 bib that is often difficult in super-G before the course has revealed its traps.
Wearing bib No. 9, the winner had been runner-up on the Saturday downhill despite back and hip pains she said made it hard to walk.
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Gut-Behrami now has 14 of her 28 career World Cup wins in the super-G discipline that demands speed, technical skills and an ability to improvise through unfamiliar gates. Unlike in downhill, racers do not train on the exact course-setting.
Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami gets to the finish line after completing an alpine ski, women's World Cup super-G, in Crans Montana, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP PhotoMarco Tacca)
Five of the top 20 highest-ranked starters skied out or were disqualified Sunday, including Sofia Goggia who won downhills on the Mont Lachaux slope the previous two days.
Goggia, the 2019 world championship silver medalist in super-G, missed the second-last gate after nearly crashing out while landing the jump in sight of the finish line. She reacted to the error by holding her helmet in her hands in the finish area.
Elena Curtoni had been third behind her Italian teammate Saturday, but skied out by going wide after the last jump.
Italy's Sofia Goggia gets to the finish line after completing an alpine ski, women's World Cup super-G, in Crans Montana, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP PhotoMarco Tacca)
World Cup overall standings leader Petra Vlhova had the No. 1 bib that is often difficult in super-G before the course has revealed its traps.
Vlhova was too fast and direct cresting the hill’s signature jump mid-run and went wide of the next gate. No. 4 starter Wendy Holdener skied out the same way.
Gut-Behrami and other racers huddled around a television screen at the start watching how the early racers performed. No. 3 starter Stephanie Venier crashed out but did not seem injured.
Austria's Tamara Tippler speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup super-G, in Crans Montana, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP PhotoGabriele Facciotti)
Wearing bib No. 9, the winner had been runner-up on the Saturday downhill despite back and hip pains she said made it hard to walk.
Mikaela Shiffrin is the world champion in super-G but did not start Sunday. The American star is focusing on a giant slalom Tuesday at Kronplatz, Italy.
Another super-G is scheduled next Sunday at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. It’s the last women’s race before the world championships open at Coprtina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Italy's Federica Brignone shouts as she gets to the finish line after completing an alpine ski, women's World Cup super-G, in Crans Montana, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP PhotoMarco Tacca)
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami inspects the course prior to an alpine ski, women's World Cup super-G, in Crans Montana, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP PhotoGabriele Facciotti)