Brignone finally snatches the skiing gold medal she's always wanted by winning the GS world title

SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — Seven medals from major skiing events, including a world title in Alpine combined and Olympic silver and bronze in giant slalom.

An overall championship, 32 races, and season titles in three different disciplines on the World Cup.

Still, Federica Brignone always felt that one prize was missing from her list of achievements.

Until Thursday, when the Italian crowned probably the best season of her storied career by finally snatching the win she's always wanted: The world championship in giant slalom.

“This was my dream, to be a gold medalist in GS. I have been dreaming of this moment for many, many years. I was always second,” said Brignone, who won GS silver at the worlds in 2011 and 2023. “This is just one of the best days of my life.”

The Italian seized the gold medal in style by dominating both runs and winning by a massive margin of 0.90 seconds.

Alice Robinson’s silver was New Zealand’s first medal in worlds history.

And Paula Moltzan took bronze for the American’s first individual medal from a major event. She edged fourth-placed Thea Louise Stjernesund of Norway by one-hundredth of a second.

Defending champion Mikaela Shiffrin sat out the event because she said she was not ready yet to race giant slalom again following a crash in November.

Shiffrin paired with downhiller Breezy Johnson and skied the slalom portion to win the team combined event Tuesday but wasn’t physically ready to ski the GS. She planned to start in Saturday’s slalom.

Holding a comprehensive lead from the first run, Brignone had a member of the Italian coaching staff put some snow inside the back of her shirt before stepping into the start gate for her final run, wearing her helmet with a tiger design.

She kept her cool charging down the Schneekristall course again with another near-flawless run.

After finishing, she covered her face with both hands when she saw she won. Then Robinson and Moltzan embraced her in the finish area.

“There has always been a very high level in women’s skiing, as far as my generation is concerned, then Shiffrin also arrived, the strongest of all," said Brignone, the first Italian winner of GS gold at the worlds since Deborah Compagnoni won back-to-back titles in 1996-97.

"Achieving such a result, with all eyes on it, is really difficult, and today I am really satisfied.”

Family was with Brignone for the big moment: Her younger brother, Davide, who is her coach; and her mother, former skier Maria Rosa Quario, who watched the race in the stands and jumped for joy when her daughter crossed the line in first.

“This is very important to her," said Quario, a two-time Olympian who won four World Cup slaloms in the 1970s and 80s.

“She did win a gold before, in combined, but that’s not the same. The giant slalom is the most important discipline,” Quario said and added, jokingly: "For me, today, she can quit.”

Her daughter, though, has other plans than retiring.

Brignone's second medal from these worlds after silver in super-G a week ago is capping what’s turning out to be the strongest of her 18 seasons on the World Cup circuit.

She leads the overall standings and could land that title for a second time after 2020; she won the first two downhills of her career last month; and she has been extending her record as the oldest race winner five times.

At 34 years, 7 months, Brignone has also become the oldest female medalist at the worlds. Lindsey Vonn was four months younger when she won downhill bronze in 2019.

Vonn, who came out of retirement after nearly six years at age 40 this season with a new titanium knee, doesn’t race in giant slalom anymore.

Robinson led the race after a strong final run, but acknowledged Brignone's dominance.

“Federica was just amazing, while I thought I had done something amazing,” Robinson said. "It’s so awesome in Alpine skiing to bring a country like New Zealand to the medal table, it’s so cool and I’m really proud and excited.”

Moltzan said she was “just happy, joyful" for her bronze. She was fourth in Tuesday's team combined with downhiller Lauren Macuga, and in the mixed team parallel event last week.

“It’s been kind of a rollercoaster of a season, with results and with emotions,” said Moltzan, whose parents were among the 11,000 spectators.

“For it all to kind of play out on the really big stage is amazing. I can’t believe I was on the right side of the hundredth today.”

The next event at the worlds is the men's giant slalom on Friday.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

Italy's Federica Brignone competes in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates winning the gold medal in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

United States' Paula Moltzan speeds down the course during a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti

New Zealand's Alice Robinson speeds down the course during a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti

New Zealand's Alice Robinson celebrates on the podium after winning the silver medal in a a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates at the finish area winning a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

New Zealand's Alice Robinson celebrates at the finish area of a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

United States' Paula Moltzan celebrates at the finish area of a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

United States' Paula Moltzan celebrates winning the bronze medal in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates winning the gold medal in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Federica Brignone, center, gold medal in a women's giant slalom, celebrates on the podium with silver medalist New Zealand's Alice Robinson, left, and bronze medalist United States' Paula Moltzan, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates after winning the gold medal in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates at the finish area of a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates at the finish area winning a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates winning the gold medal in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Federica Brignone competes in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Federica Brignone celebrates at the finish area of a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Sofia Goggia concentrates ahead of a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti

United States' Paula Moltzan competes in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

New Zealand's Alice Robinson competes in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

New Zealand's Alice Robinson competes in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Federica Brignone concentrates ahead of a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Italy's Federica Brignone competes in a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Ahn Sung-ki, one of South Korean cinema’s biggest stars whose prolific 60-year career and positive, gentle public image earned him the nickname “The Nation’s Actor,” died Monday. He was 74.

Ahn, who had suffered blood cancer for years, was pronounced dead at Seoul's Soonchunhyang University Hospital, his agency, the Artist Company, and hospital officials said.

“We feel deep sorrow at the sudden, sad news, pray for the eternal rest of the deceased and offer our heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family members," the Artist Company said in a statement.

President Lee Jae Myung issued a condolence message saying Ahn provided many people with comfort, joy and time for reflection. “I already miss his warm smile and gentle voice,” Lee wrote on Facebook.

Born to a filmmaker in the southeastern city of Daegu in 1952, Ahn made his debut as a child actor in the movie “The Twilight Train” in 1957. He subsequently appeared in about 70 movies as a child actor before he left the film industry to live an ordinary life.

In 1970, Ahn entered Seoul’s Hankuk University of Foreign Studies as a Vietnamese major. Ahn said he graduated with top honors but failed to land jobs at big companies, who likely saw his Vietnamese major largely useless after a communist victory in the Vietnam War in 1975.

Ahn returned to the film industry in 1977 believing he could still excel in acting. In 1980, he rose to fame for his lead role in Lee Jang-ho’s “Good, Windy Days,” a hit coming-of-age movie about the struggle of working-class men from rural areas during the country’s rapid rise. Ahn won the best new actor award in the prestigious Grand Bell Awards, the Korean version of the Academy Awards.

He later starred in a series of highly successful and critically acclaimed movies, sweeping best actor awards and becoming arguably the country’s most popular actor in much of the 1980-90s.

Some of his memorable roles included a Buddhist monk in 1981’s “Mandara,” a beggar in 1984’s “Whale Hunting,” a Vietnam War veteran-turned-novelist in 1992’s “White Badge,” a corrupt police officer in 1993’s “Two Cops,” a murderer in 1999’s “No Where To Hide,” a special forces trainer in 2003’s “Silmido” and a devoted celebrity manager in 2006’s “Radio Star.”

Ahn had collected dozens of trophies in major movie awards in South Korea, including winning the Grand Bell Awards for best actor five times, an achievement no other South Korean actors have matched yet.

Ahn built up an image as a humble, trustworthy and family-oriented celebrity who avoided major scandals and maintained a quiet, stable personal life. Past public surveys chose Ahn as South Korea’s most beloved actor and deserving of the nickname “The Nation’s Actor.”

Ahn said he earlier felt confined with his “The Nation's Actor” labeling but eventually thought that led him down the right path. In recent years, local media has given other stars similar honorable nicknames, but Ahn was apparently the first South Korean actor who was dubbed “The Nation's Actor.”

“I felt I should do something that could match that title. But I think that has eventually guided me on a good direction,” Ahn said in an interview with Yonhap news agency in 2023.

In media interviews, Ahn couldn’t choose what his favorite movie was, but said that his role as a dedicated, hardworking manger for a washed-up rock singer played by Park Jung-hoon resembled himself in real life the most.

Ahn was also known for his reluctance to do love scenes. He said said he was too shy to act romantic scenes and sometimes asked directors to skip steamy scenes if they were only meant to add spice to movies.

“I don’t do well on acting like looking at someone who I don’t love with loving eyes and kissing really romantically. I feel shy and can’t express such emotions well,” Ahn said in an interview with the Shindonga magazine in 2007. “Simply, I’m clumsy on that. So I couldn’t star in such movies a lot. But ultimately, that was a right choice for me.”

Ahn is survived by his wife and their two sons. A mourning station at a Seoul hospital was to run until Friday.

FILE - South Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki smiles for a photo on the red carpet at the 56th Daejong Film Awards ceremony in Seoul, South Korea, June 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

FILE - South Korean actor Ahn Sung-ki attends an event as part of the 11th Pusan International Film Festival in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 13, 2006. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)