Federica Brignone delivered a career-defining victory the Sunday’s Tremendous-G on Sunday, January 19, lastly taming the storied slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. For years, Cortina d’Ampezzo had eluded Brignone, a venue the place the Italian star confronted repeated disappointment. Whereas Brignone celebrated a long-awaited triumph, Lindsey Vonn’s return to the long-lasting venue referred to as her “Residing Room” noticed her skid out halfway by means of, momentarily alarming followers earlier than she confirmed she was unhurt. Rounding out the rostrum had been Lara Intestine-Behrami from Switzerland and her teammate Corinne Suter.
Brignone was practically flawless, excelling throughout all however one sector to win by 0.58 seconds forward of Lara Intestine-Behrami. Corinne Suter, who suffered a season-ending crash at Cortina final 12 months, obtained her redemption by claiming third place. Brignone’s efficiency prolonged her lead within the general standings and positioned her firmly in rivalry for subsequent 12 months’s Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. “This was my dream,” Brignone mentioned after the race. “Everybody would say, ‘Cortina doesn’t swimsuit you.’ To lastly show myself right here is unbelievable.” The victory marked Brignone’s thirty first World Cup win, tying her with Petra Vlhova and Erika Hess on the all-time checklist and reaffirming her standing as Italy’s most profitable feminine Alpine skier.
Intestine-Behrami pushed onerous to maintain up however struggled with two errant jumps towards the tip of the course, whereas Suter took benefit of favorable early circumstances to safe her first podium end since recovering from her devastating ACL harm from final 12 months.
Amid Brignone’s celebratory day, Lindsey Vonn’s return to Cortina for her four-hundredth World Cup begin drew vital consideration. The American legend was snowboarding strongly, with splits hinting at a possible top-five end. Vonn had gained in Cortina a complete of 12 instances—a file to today—so expectations had been excessive. Nonetheless, halfway by means of the course, Vonn’s skis had been too shut as she leaned closely on her inside ski throughout a proper flip, inflicting her to spin out at excessive velocity. The scene initially alarmed viewers, notably given Vonn’s latest knee substitute, nevertheless everybody regarded relieved when she slammed her ski poles in frustration. She picked herself up and skied by means of the end space and her followers cheered loudly for the group favourite.
The day introduced stable outcomes for the remainder of the Stifel U.S. Ski Workforce, led by Lauren Macuga’s Thirteenth-place end. Keely Cashman, Tricia Mangan, and Breezy Johnson all landed within the factors, with Johnson making a powerful run from bib 51 to complete twenty fifth on her twenty ninth birthday. “I really feel prefer it was some nice snowboarding,” Macuga mentioned. “There have been a number of too many errors, however I’m glad to have cracked the highest 15.”
As the ladies’s World Cup tour heads to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, the stage is ready for extra high-stakes competitors. Brignone’s Cortina victory has bolstered her confidence, whereas Vonn’s resilience continues to encourage.
