Olympics
Under bluebird skies on the Tofane di Olimpia in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, the women’s Olympic Giant Slalom unfolded into one of the most extraordinary races of the season—defined by a close field that even saw a three-way-tie until Italy’s Federica Brignone broke the field wide open with a dominant run.
Brignone claimed her second gold in the Olympics with two dominant runs way ahead of the closely-packed field, while Thea Louise Stjernesund and Sara Hector tied for silver. In fact, Stjernesund and Hector were tied on both run 1 and run 2 of the Giant Slalom. In a sport measured to the hundredth of a second, there is no known Olympic precedent for the same two skiers tying on both runs to the millisecond.
Giant slalom races are conducted in two runs, with the combined time determining the final result. In the World Cup, only the top 30 from run one qualify for run two. At the Olympics, however, everyone who finishes the first run qualifies for run two. The top 30 qualifiers will compete in run 2 in reverse order ahead of the rest of the field.
Run 1
From the very first bib, it was clear this would not be an ordinary day. Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund opened the race in bib 1 and set the early benchmark at 1:03.97. It looked solid but hard to gauge as first starter. Then Sweden’s Sara Hector came down and matched it exactly—to the millisecond. If there was an omen for how the day would unfold, this was certainly it. But the wild ride that today’s Giant Slalom would be was only just beginning.
Mikaela Shiffrin in bib 3 skied a technically sharp top section—quicker than Hector there, though slightly behind Stjernesund—but like several others, she struggled to generate speed on the lower pitch. She crossed the line 0.28 seconds back, keeping herself firmly in the hunt but unable to crack the deadlock. Switzerland’s Camille Rast, skiing in bib 4 and already a multiple winner this season, rocketed through the top split 0.39 seconds ahead of the leaders. Yet she too lost momentum mid-course and faded to 0.40 behind the leading duo at the finish. Bib 5, Paula Moltzan, delivered a composed run that slotted her into a tightly packed field. New Zealand’s Alice Robinson showed blazing speed up top, but a mistake on the lower section cost her dearly, and she finished 0.35 off the lead.
Current Giant Slalom standings leader Julia Scheib from Austria attacked with agility and intent, yet like those before her, she gave back crucial hundredths on the bottom pitch, finishing just 0.04 behind Robinson. Croatia’s Zrinka Ljutic, still searching for her best form this season, landed more than a second adrift. Canada’s Valérie Grenier then squeezed into fourth place between Shiffrin and Robinson, underlining just how compressed the leaderboard had become.
And then came the moment no one saw coming: rising star Lara Colturi crossed the line in 1:03.97–the same time as Hector and Stjernesund—three skiers tied for first at the Olympics. It was promising to be a very exciting day indeed. And behind the trio, the field was tight, less than a second. Behind them, Italy’s Lara Della Mea finished 0.45 seconds back, just 0.03 behind Moltzan, who tied with Poland’s Maryna Gąsienica-Daniel in bib 13 for 13th place. Incredibly, eleven women sat within half a second of the lead after run one.
Then the status quo was shaken up, much to the delight of the home crowd.
Starting in bib 14, Brignone attacked the course with authority and flow, smashing the tie at the top and crossing the finish a staggering 0.74 seconds ahead of the trio. It was a huge margin on a day defined by razor-thin gaps. The 35-year-old, who fractured her leg last April and has raced only sparingly this season while battling lingering pain, looked anything but compromised. She had claimed gold in the Super-G on
But the surprises were not over. Germany’s Lena Dürr, better known for slalom, skied with control and precision to slot into second, 0.34 behind Brignone. Italy’s Sofia Goggia, all aggression and power, claimed third at 0.46 back, pushing the three tied leaders into fourth.
Team USA’s AJ Hurt was fast on the upper section but recorded a DNF.
Run 2
With the top 30 reversed for run two, the stage was set for chaos—and it delivered. Nina O’Brien, who had qualified 29th, threw down the fastest run of the day (later matched by Asja Zenere) and vaulted up to 20th overall. Ljutic also found rhythm, showing flashes of last season’s brilliance, boosting her to end the day in 17th. But the run of the afternoon belonged to Della Mea. Starting 15th, the Italian produced the fourth-fastest second run and surged into the lead. One by one, favorites fell short. Scheib missed by 0.02 seconds. Robinson by 0.13. Grenier by 0.41. Shiffrin, quick up top again but unable to maintain speed through the third sector, finished 0.25 behind the Italian and ultimately 11th overall. Moltzan—usually known for fast second runs—had a solid but unspectacular second run, finishing 15th on the day.
Then we moved to the tied trio: Colturi was up first but slipped back after small mistakes, leaving Della Mea in the lead.
But then came Stjernesund, who skied with determination and moved into the lead, 0.05 ahead of Della Mea. Hector followed and looked poised to seize control—building a 0.32-second advantage mid-course—but like so many before her, she lost significant time in the third sector. She charged the finish and tied Stjernesund to the millisecond. Again! Two runs. Two ties. The Scandinavian duo could hardly believe it themselves, sitting in the leader’s seat together.
Third-last skier Goggia could not replicate her first-run brilliance and dropped behind Robinson into what was ultimately 10th place. Dürr skied cleanly but lacked the extra push, finishing ahead of Goggia in ninth.
Only one skier remained in the gate: Brignone launched with unmistakable intent. Sector by sector, the green light widened—0.84 seconds, then 0.96. Though she surrendered a fraction on the final pitch, she crossed the line 0.64 seconds clear of the tied Scandinavian duo. Hector and Stjernesund erupted in cheers—the usual rivalry in skiing between Sweden and Norway forgotten, it was Olympic silver for both. “It’s something special when you get to actually share a podium, especially a medal. I’m just so happy that it’s Sara, such a good friend of mine, couldn’t be better,” Stjernesund said in a FIS race interview.
Brignone’s margin on the two silver medalists was immense in context. The 0.67-second gap between Brignone and silver was nearly mirrored on the other side of the podium by the time one reached Moltzan in 15th, 0.65 seconds behind Hector and Stjernesund. Twelve athletes were compressed into that same narrow band. It was an incredible show of dominance by Brignone.
Federica Brignone did not just win, she separated herself from one of the tightest fields in recent memory—and the Italian crowd knew they had witnessed something special. Her attendance at the Olympics was not even sure just weeks ago. She had had the best intentions, but following her struggles with pain she experienced during training and the few World Cup races she attended following her double leg fracture 10 months ago, Brignone’s racing at all was far from guaranteed. For her to race with this dominance at the Olympics will forever engrain her in the league of legends.
”I have too many emotions. I can’t believe it—yet again!”
— Federica Brignone
The Italian has competed at five Olympics. She claimed bronze in 2018 in PyeongChang and silver and bronze in 2022 in Beijing. To now claim two gold medals at the age of 35 years and 7 months at her fifth Olympics, fresh from an injury, and both with wide margins, should be inspiring for any athlete: sometimes good things take time. Brignone is now the oldest Olympic gold medalist in Alpine skiing—male or female—beating Aksel Lund Svindal, who had been 35 years and 51 days when he won gold in PyeongChang in 2018.
