Industry News
Federica Brignone delivered a dominant performance in the Giant Slalom in Åre, Sweden, on Saturday, March 8, taking victory with a combined time of 1:52.67. The Italian racer extended her incredible run in Giant Slalom, winning her eighth top-level Giant Slalom race in the past 12 months. Alice Robinson put down a strong second run to finish 1.36 seconds behind in second place, maintaining her lead in the Giant Slalom Crystal Globe standings. Lara Colturi, the young Albanian talent, secured her second career Giant Slalom podium, finishing 1.43 seconds behind Brignone in third.
Run 1
Giant Slalom races consist of two runs, with the combined time determining the final standings. Brignone, wearing bib 1, set the tone early with a smooth and aggressive first run, recording the fastest time of 56.55 seconds. Alice Robinson, in bib 2, initially gained a 0.12-second advantage on the top section but lost time in the mid-section, unable to match Brignone’s precision and agility. The New Zealander regained some speed towards the bottom but ultimately finished 0.65 seconds behind, placing fifth in the first run.
Paula Moltzan, starting third, crossed the line 1.23 seconds behind Brignone, which later placed her 12th for Run 1. Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund was the closest to Brignone’s time at that stage, finishing just 0.36 seconds behind. Lara Gut-Behrami, wearing bib 5, struggled with the quickly deteriorating course and finished just 0.03 seconds behind Moltzan. Zrinka Ljutic and Sara Hector, starting sixth and seventh, placed seventh and sixth respectively.
With the top-ranked skiers out of the way, it was time for Lara Colturi in bib 8. The 18-year-old delivered an aggressive and confident performance, skiing just behind Stjernesund and securing an excellent position heading into the second run. The only skier to come close to Brignone’s time was her teammate Sofia Goggia in bib 11. Goggia, not known for her Giant Slalom results in recent years, put down an impressive first run, finishing 0.34 seconds behind Brignone to sit in second place.
For the American team, AJ Hurt, skiing in bib 9, placed 16th, while Elisabeth Bocock, wearing bib 34, managed to qualify for the second run in 24th place. Nina O’Brien narrowly made the cut in 29th. Mikaela Shiffrin’s race ended early with a DNF after she skidded too low on a left turn in the mid-section. It was her second Giant Slalom race since her crash in Killington, Vermont, on November 30, and she continues to work on regaining confidence in the discipline. Katie Hensien, in bib 26, also failed to finish after missing a gate near the bottom.
Run 2
The second run of Giant Slalom races follows a reverse order format, meaning the 30th-fastest skier from Run 1 starts first, while the leader goes last. Setting the early pace for Run 2 was Sweden’s Hilma Lövblom, who was bumped up into 30th place after Marta Bassino’s disqualification for missing a gate. Nina O’Brien followed and immediately took the lead, putting down a strong run that ended up being the second-fastest of the day. It was a major confidence boost for the American, who has struggled in Giant Slalom this season.
Other standout performances before the top-ranked skiers took the course included Sweden’s Lisa Nyberg, who posted the third-fastest second run, moving from 26th place to an impressive 12th on her home course. Similarly, Elisabeth Bocock recorded the fourth-fastest second run, climbing to 14th place for a personal best in Giant Slalom at the World Cup level. Bocock, just 19 years old, has had a breakout season, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Junior World Championships earlier this month.
Paula Moltzan, skiing 19th in Run 2, put down an aggressive and technically sound run, taking the lead before the final eight skiers entered the course. The American ultimately finished in sixth place, marking one of the best Giant Slalom results of her career. Valerie Grenier of Canada, who had qualified in eighth place, then snatched the lead from Moltzan. With seven skiers left, it remained an open race.
Alice Robinson charged out of the gate, delivering an aggressive second run despite a few small mistakes in the mid-section. She took the lead from Grenier by 0.21 seconds, securing at least a podium position. However, with four skiers still to go, her result was far from guaranteed. Lara Colturi followed and finished just 0.07 seconds behind Robinson, showing once again that she is one of the brightest young stars in the sport.
Thea Louise Stjernesund, who usually excels on slushy, salted race courses, had a half-second advantage over Robinson on the top section but lost time in the mid-section as the course conditions worsened. She crossed the line 0.06 seconds behind Colturi, finishing in fourth place for the fourth time this season—an agonizing trend that included missing out on World Championship bronze by just one-hundredth of a second.
Sofia Goggia was the second-last skier to race. She has not reached a Giant Slalom podium since 2018 but looked determined to change that. Goggia had a strong first run and started Run 2 aggressively, carrying a half-second advantage on Robinson into the mid-section. However, she lost an edge over a roller, missed a gate, and was disqualified. Her frustration was clear, but the Italian speed specialist continues to show flashes of potential in the technical discipline.
That left only Federica Brignone at the start gate, with the chance to defend her lead and secure another Giant Slalom win. She did not disappoint. The 34-year-old skied an exceptional second run, extending her advantage over Robinson from 0.65 seconds to a massive 1.36 seconds despite a wild moment in the lower section where she nearly lost control. Brignone’s win marks her ninth World Cup victory of the season and moves her into third place on the all-time women’s World Cup Giant Slalom winners list.
Brignone’s performance in Åre adds to her already remarkable season, where she leads the Overall and Downhill standings and sits second in both Super-G and Giant Slalom. With just one race remaining in the Giant Slalom season, Robinson still holds a 20-point lead in the Crystal Globe standings, setting up a thrilling final showdown at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, on March 25.
Robinson, despite finishing second for the third time this season behind Brignone, remains upbeat. “Fede has just been so amazing, all these wins, but I guess me just sticking close and getting second, that’s keeping the points with me for the moment,” she said. If she manages to hold off Brignone in Sun Valley, Robinson will become the first New Zealander to ever win a Crystal Globe.
Lara Colturi’s third-place finish further cements her reputation as one of the most exciting young talents on the circuit. After never having reached a World Cup podium before this season, the Albanian teenager now has two in Giant Slalom and one in Slalom. “It was a tough race, especially for me in this kind of snow,” she said. “But I found a nice solution, the perfect solution, so I am really happy.”
With just one Giant Slalom race left in the season, the battle for the Crystal Globe is as close as ever. Brignone has proven she is nearly unstoppable when she finishes, but Robinson has been remarkably consistent. The stage is set for a dramatic conclusion in Sun Valley, Idaho, where Robinson will have one last chance to deny Brignone and make history for New Zealand.
