Industry News
The Women’s Super-G World Cup at La Thuile, Italy, on Thursday, March 14, marked the return of the discipline to this Italian venue for the first time in five years. The race took place on the “Number 3 Franco Berthod” slope, named after the former Italian alpine skier who competed in the 1960s and later played a key role in developing La Thuile as a World Cup venue. The challenging course, known for its steep terrain and technical sections, provided a thrilling contest that saw Germany’s Emma Aicher claim her first Super-G victory. Italy’s Sofia Goggia finished just 0.06 seconds behind in second place, while her teammate Federica Brignone rounded out the podium in third.
The race kicked off with Italy’s Laura Pirovano as the first competitor down the course. She made a significant mistake on a roller but still set a fairly competitive time of 59.74 seconds. Austria’s Ariane Rädler, starting second, improved upon Pirovano’s line and took the lead by nearly a full second. However, Germany’s Emma Aicher, in bib three, immediately outpaced Rädler with a dominant run, crossing the finish line in 57.89 seconds—a time that held through the rest of the race. Fresh off her maiden World Cup downhill victory in Kvitfjell, the 21-year-old German skier carried that confidence into La Thuile, skiing a clean and aggressive line that proved unbeatable.
Italy’s Marta Bassino was the second of five Italians racing on home soil but could not challenge Aicher, finishing in fourth place at 0.71 seconds behind. Her compatriots Sofia Goggia and Federica Brignone, however, were able to break onto the podium. Goggia, in bib 8, looked strong out of the gate, trailing Aicher by just 0.05 seconds at the top and briefly taking the lead in the midsection. However, she lost speed in the final stretch and crossed the line a mere 0.06 seconds behind the German, settling for second place. Brignone, who grew up just 20 minutes from La Thuile, opted for an all-out aggressive approach in front of her home crowd but made multiple errors, including hitting a gate, which cost her valuable milliseconds. Skiing in bib 10, she finished 0.39 seconds behind Aicher in third place. Unfortunately, a course official who tried to fix the gate, crashed into the b-nets, resulting in a longer race interruption, which possibly could have been a disadvantage for the remaining skiers.
“It was really not easy. The terrain is not constant. I did not go well on some parts and it was sketchy, and I made some mistakes. I think I risked too much. I wanted it too much in front of this crowd. The result is okay, my skiing was not,” Brignone reflected after the race.
Team USA had a strong showing, with 20-year-old Lauren Macuga finishing in fifth place. Wearing bib 9, she had a relatively clean run and was competitive with the leaders in several sections but lost some time toward the bottom of the course. “I mean, it’s never a fair race, but it definitely got slower today, and so that was tough to watch. But I’m just glad I put my best skiing out there, and [I’m] super stoked [about] fifth place,” Macuga said after the race.
- Related: USA’s Lauren Macuga Claims Historic Super-G Victory at FIS Alpine World Cup in St. Anton, Austria
Breezy Johnson was the next-best American, finishing 27th. Despite challenging conditions, she managed to secure points with a solid run. Keely Cashman, Jackie Wiles, and Allison Mollin placed 37th, 39th, and 41st, respectively—outside the top 30 that earn FIS points. Lindsey Vonn, making a return to racing, recorded a DNF after hooking a gate in the top section of the course. The American legend momentarily stayed down on the slope but was able to get up unassisted, shaking her head in frustration.
The Super-G at La Thuile showcased an intense battle on a demanding course, with Emma Aicher’s breakthrough victory highlighting the next generation of ski racing talent. In a post race interview an elated Aicher admitted, “I don’t really know how I did it. I just tried to let the skis run freely and crouch as early as possible.”
The athletes will now turn their focus to the final Super-G race of the regular World Cup season on Friday.
