Lara Gut-Behrami is on the verge of her ninth World Cup podium finish in St. Moritz. The skier from Ticino is in 2nd place after 31 racers in Lindsey Vonn's comeback. Vonn makes it into the top 15.
21.12.2024, 14:07
SDA
One week after the two podium places at the speed overture in Beaver Creek, Gut-Behrami is also among the best in the Engadine sun. 18 hundredths separated the 33-year-old Olympic champion from her 23rd World Cup victory in her showpiece discipline after an attacking run with a small mistake in the lower part of the course.
Only Cornelia Hütter was faster than Gut-Behrami. After a slow start, the winner of the downhill in Beaver Creek turned on the heat and moved into the lead at the bottom. In glorious conditions, she ended an 18-year drought for the Austrians in the super-G in St. Moritz. Since Michaela Dorfmeister's double in 2008, only Mirjam Puchner has triumphed as an Austrian in the downhill in the Engadin before Hütter in 2016.
Behind Hütter and Gut-Behrami are four Italians: Sofia Goggia, Elena Curtoni, Federica Brignone and Laura Pirovano. The second best Swiss skier is Corinne Suter in 10th place. The racer from Schwyz, who made her comeback in Beaver Creek after tearing her cruciate ligament in January, spoke in an interview of "a good next step in the right direction".
Lindsey Vonn started her first World Cup race in almost six years tentatively and improved as the race progressed. At the first intermediate time, the 40-year-old American was more than half a second behind the top 30. At the finish, she was a good two tenths faster than the third-best Swiss skier, Michelle Gisin, who was ranked directly behind her and was among the top 15.
A second super-G will follow on Saturday in St. Moritz. The start is at 11.00 am.
