Gut-Behrami clinches narrow win in giant slalom World Cup opener
Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami narrowly won the women’s giant slalom, edging out Italy’s Federica Brignone, while the favourite, U.S. Mikaela Shiffrin, finished sixth at the opening event of the 2022-23 World Cup season in Soelden, Austria, on Saturday.
The race could hardly have been closer in sunny conditions in the Austrian Alps as Gut-Behrami was only two hundredths of a second faster than Brignone with a total time of two minutes and 18.94 seconds.
Gut-Behrami had a mediocre first run, finishing in fourth place, but she beat the entire field in her second run, when she was 0.75 faster than Brignone.
Petra Vlhova from Slovakia came third in both legs and third overall, 0.14 behind Gut-Behrami.
WATCH | Gut-Behrami takes the victory in Soelden:
Featured VideoSwitzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami won the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season-opening event, the women’s giant slalom, in Soelden, Austria.
Canada’s Val Grenier, St. Isidore, Ont., finished seventh overall, 1.45 seconds back of Gut-Behrami.
For Shiffrin, it was not the best day, as she finished 1.40 seconds behind Gut-Behrami, struggling to keep up the pace in the middle parts of the course.
WATCH | CBC Sports’ ‘Let’s Go Racing’ previews alpine season:
Featured VideoIn the debut episode of Let’s Go Racing, Scott Russell previews the upcoming campaign on the slopes and is joined by Valérie Grenier ahead of her first race of the season.
