In LA THUILE, Italy, the World Cup super-G race on Thursday saw Federica Brignone narrow the point gap between her and leader Lara Gut-Behrami down to 45 points. German newcomer Emma Aicher clinched victory on the shortened course by a hair, finishing a mere 0.06 seconds ahead of Sofia Goggia. This triumph marked Aicher’s second career win.
Competing near her hometown in Aosta Valley, Brignone had a wild run, concluding third, trailing Aicher by 0.39 seconds but edging out Gut-Behrami by 0.08 seconds for the fourth spot. Lauren Macuga from the United States, who recently secured a bronze at the world championships, finished fifth, 0.55 seconds behind the leader. Brignone nearly lost her footing early in her descent but regained control using her left hand on the snow and later grazed a gate with her right arm. At the finish line, she could be seen cooling down her right hand with ice.
Gut-Behrami initially led Brignone up till the final split, but the Swiss competitor fell behind by 0.17 seconds at the finish line. As the season progresses, only two more super-G races are left. One is happening this Friday, followed by the final showdown on March 23 in Sun Valley, Idaho, with each win potentially earning 100 points.
To date, Gut-Behrami has accumulated five World Cup super-G season titles, claiming three out of the last four, only interrupted by Brignone in 2022. Brignone, on course to secure her second overall World Cup title, has consistently placed in the top five across the last 16 World Cup races, despite facing two DNFs in giant slaloms during this interval.
American skier Lindsey Vonn experienced a fall early in her run, but thankfully, she appeared uninjured. Vonn lost balance making a left turn, which caused her to slide through a gate and detach her left ski. She quickly recovered and skied down the course. This season marks Vonn’s return to World Cup racing post a six-year hiatus, complete with a titanium knee at age 40.
Aicher’s win adds to her recent achievements, following a downhill victory in Norway just under two weeks prior. Prior to this triumph, her only top-10 finish this season in super-G had been modest. This victory is significant as it is the first for a German skier in a super-G race in six years.
The downhill race originally slotted for Thursday faced cancellation due to the heavy snowfall that impeded the mandatory training runs on the upper section of the 3 Franco Berthod course. Consequently, the super-G utilized a reserve starting point further down the slope, leading to run times around 58 seconds for the fastest competitors.
A brief interruption of the race occurred after Brignone’s run as a course worker required medical attention and was airlifted from the hill. Meanwhile, Cornelia Huetter faced a frightening fall when a bump disturbed her left ski. The Austrian skier twisted, lost balance, and skidded into the safety netting. Fortunately, being the reigning World Cup downhill champion, she quickly regained her footing without serious injury.
