Italy’s Federica Brignone received the Large Slalom at Semmering, Austria, on Saturday, December 28. Together with her victory, the 34-year-old Italian broke her personal file for oldest lady to win a World Cup race, claiming her thirtieth World Cup victory. Brignone maintained her poise via each runs, constructing a commanding lead within the morning and holding on to the lead on her second run regardless of an error close to the end. Her victory, by 0.57 seconds over Olympic champion Sara Hector from Sweden and 0.90 seconds over New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, marked her 14th profession Large Slalom win.
“I’m once more the oldest winner—I’d wish to beat my file as soon as once more,” Brignone mentioned in an interview with FIS after the race. “I’m simply attempting to get higher and higher. Mikaela [Shiffrin], Lara [Gut-Behrami], and all the women push me extra yearly, and I’ve to boost my limits.”
Robinson, who secured her second podium of the season, overcame nerves stemming from a earlier race in Killington the place she failed to complete the primary run. “I used to be feeling fairly frazzled,” the New Zealander admitted. “Within the second run, I actually charged and went for it. It wasn’t excellent, however the intent was there.”
Hector, who held the World Cup big slalom chief’s crimson bib earlier than the race, delivered a strong efficiency to assert her first podium in Semmering. Regardless of dropping her lead within the standings to Brignone, Hector remained optimistic. “Brignone was snowboarding very well,” Hector mentioned. “Now I’ve to ski sooner.”
Lara Intestine-Behrami from Switzerland, who was second after the primary run, noticed her probabilities of victory vanish after catching a gate early in her second run, in the end ending ninth. Her misstep opened the door for Robinson and Hector to safe podium spots.
Canada’s Valerie Grenier narrowly missed out on the rostrum, snowboarding into fourth place simply 0.04 seconds behind Robinson.
In the meantime, Paula Moltzan from Staff USA delivered a standout efficiency, ending fifth, simply two hundredths of a second off the rostrum, matching her career-best consequence. Moltzan, snowboarding via the lingering ache of a dislocated shoulder suffered in Killington earlier this season, almost captured her first World Cup big slalom podium. Her clear and aggressive snowboarding put her in fourth after the primary run, however a dramatic save on the closing gate stored her in rivalry. Although she in the end completed fifth, her dedication didn’t go unnoticed. “I’m proud to have put down two clear, constant runs,” Moltzan mentioned. “I’m very proud of my consequence and look ahead to carrying this momentum ahead.”
Nina O’Brien additionally impressed, climbing from seventeenth to fifteenth after a robust second run, whereas AJ Damage marked her return to competitors by ending twenty seventh, incomes her first World Cup factors of the season. Katie Hensien, rating eleventh within the season standings, added to the staff’s success with a Twenty eighth-place end. Sisters Elisabeth and Mary Bocock made their World Cup debuts however didn’t advance to the second run.
The World Cup tour continues Sunday with the fourth slalom race of the season, the place Moltzan can have one other likelihood to shine.
