Malorie Blanc surprises everyone with bib number 46 and finishes second in her first World Cup downhill. In an interview after the race, she is completely overwhelmed and doesn't know exactly why she was so fast.
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- Malorie Blanc skis to an outstanding second place in the downhill in St. Anton.
- The 21-year-old Swiss skier was just seven hundredths off the winner Federica Brignone.
- In an interview after the race, Blanc says: "It's difficult to explain, I think I did everything right."
Switzerland's Malorie Blanc provides the big surprise in the downhill in St. Anton. The 21-year-old skied to second place with bib number 46. The skier from Valais skied so strongly that even the leader Federica Brignone had to tremble for the first downhill victory of her career.
At the finish, Blanc was just seven hundredths behind the Italian. Although Blanc missed out on victory, she did secure her first podium finish in only her second World Cup race. Blanc was eliminated in the first World Cup race, the Super-G in St. Moritz in December.
Her result is somewhat reminiscent of Lara Gut-Behrami, who also immediately finished on the podium in 2008 in St. Moritz in her downhill World Cup debut (with bib number 32).
In the SRF interview after the race, Blanc was overwhelmed: "It's difficult to find words. I didn't really understand what had happened. I tried not to worry too much at the start."
Cruciate ligament rupture a year ago
The junior world champion in last winter's super-G explained how she approached the race today: "I just wanted to ski well - with ease and fun." She can't even explain how she was able to be so fast: "I don't know why it worked, it's incredible. I'm really enjoying it at the moment."
Blanc's ability to cope with the course was already evident in the only training session held in St. Anton on Thursday, when she finished in fourth place. But that doesn't mean much, says Blanc: "It's a new day today, new conditions. I just tried to show my best skiing and it was enough."
Blanc's success is particularly impressive in light of her injury. In January 2024, the 21-year-old suffered a torn cruciate ligament. Now she's already back: "It's difficult to explain, I think I did everything right. Special thanks also go to the staff: "Thank you to everyone who has supported me. Because that's so important to me. And now I'm here. I'm so grateful to these people."
