On Saturday 25th, January 2025 Garmisch-Partenkirchen will host a Downhill Alpine Ski World Cup on the famous Kandahar slope, considered one of the most demanding race courses in the World Cup Tour.
Garmisch Partenkirchen (GER)
January 25th Downhill / Women 10:15 CET
Defending World Cup Downhill Champion Cornelia Hütter won the first Downhill of the season in the Women's premiere at the Birds of Prey racecourse in Beaver Creek. Sofia Goggia finished in second place 0.16 seconds behind the Austrian. Lara Gut-Behrami rounded up the podium in third place +0.34 seconds off the pace.
Until Beaver Creek each of the last ten Women's Alpine Ski World Cup Downhill events, including all eight of the 2023-2024 winter season, had a different winner: Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (Kvitfjell), Ilka Štuhec (Soldeu), Mikaela Shiffrin (St. Moritz), Jasmine Flury (Val d'Isere), Sofia Goggia (Zauchensee), Stephanie Venier (Cortina d'Ampezzo), Ragnhild Mowinckel (Cortina d'Ampezzo), Lara Gut-Behrami (Crans Montana), Marta Bassino (Crans Montana), and Cornelia Huetter (Saalbach).
Hütter celebrated in the US ski resort her second consecutive Downhill victory, having also won the last race of last season at Saalbach during the Alpine Ski World Cup Finals. It was her third victory in this speed discipline.
The 32-year-old has stood on the top step of the World Cup podium eight times in her career. It was the first victory of the season for the Austrian Ski Team. She achieved 16 of her 30 World Cup podiums in the Downhill discipline.
Federica Brignone claimed her first Alpine Ski World Cup Downhill victory in St. Anton. Her win marks Brignone's eighth podium finish in the discipline.
Swiss young talent Malorie Blanc finished in second position just 0.07 seconds behind the Italian. With bib 46 the Super-G Junior World Champion delivered an outstanding performance to achieve her first podium in her second race in the World Cup. Remarkably, the 21-year-old reached the podium in her first Downhill race only a month after her World Cup debut in St. Moritz. Her result in St. Anton is even greater when you consider that she tore her cruciate ligament in February, shortly after winning gold in the Super-G and silver in the Downhill at the Junior World Championships in Chatel in January 2024.
Ester Ledecka finished in third place 0.18 seconds behind Brignone, her best World Cup Downhill result in almost three years. The Super-G Olympic champion celebrated her 11th Alpine Ski World Cup podium.
Sofia Goggia won the third Downhill of the Alpine Ski World Cup season in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Goggia imposes her all-on aggressive style at the iconic Olympia delle Tofane today to win her first World Cup Downhill of the 2024-2025 winter season.
The 32-year-old extended her record as the oldest Downhill champion in the Alpine Ski World Cup.
It's her 4th win at the Olympia delle Tofane (2018, 2022, 2023, and 2024), her second season's win, and her 26th Alpine Ski World Cup win.
Kajsa Vickhoff Lie finished in second position 0.42 seconds behind Goggia to achieve her 7th podium in the Alpine Ski World Cup the 3rd one in the Downhill.
Federica Brignone rounded up the podium in third place 0.55 seconds behind her teammate. It's Brignone's ninth podium finish in the discipline and her best result in 24 World Cup races in Cortina d'Amppezo.
Federica Brignone (189 points) leads the Downhill standings, nine points ahead of Sofia Goggia (180), with Cornelia Hütter (176) in third place, 13 points behind.
Brignone (639) leads the Alpine Ski World Cup Overall standings ahead of Lara Gut-Behrami (584) and Camille Rast (562).
Update 01.23.2025: Nadine Fest set the fastest time in the first Downhill training session in a shortened racecourse in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Teammate Magdalena Egger, tied with Ester Ledecka, finished in second place 0.04 seconds behind. The Austrians benefited from the increasingly faster course, which brought many skiers with higher starting numbers into the top places. The main favorites finished far behind with Sofia Goggia 22nd (+1.69), Federica Brignone 37th (+2.57), Lara Gut-Behrami 38th (+2.60), and Lindsey Vonn 41st (+2.82).
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