In front of 21,000 spectators at the Killington World Cup in Vermont, on a course shortened because of gusting winds at the planned start line, Lara Gut-Behrami put two clean and fast runs together to win the fifth World Cup Giant Slalom of her career. After setting the third fastest time in the first run, the 31-year-old skier from Ticino was faster than leader of the first run Sara Hector to claimed her 36th World Cup victory. Never before has a Swiss woman landed on the podium in the Killington Giant Slalom.
Lara Gut-Behrami's best result in Killington to date had been two 19th places in 2018 and 2019.
The Gant Slalom World Champion in Cortina 2021 and bronze medal in Beijing 2022 was on the podium 66 times in the World Cup, fifteen of them in Giant Slalom.
"My best place here before was 19th place, so I'm happy. I usually always struggle a little bit with the wind here and I don’t have a great feeling on the snow but I am happy at the beginning of the season I was able to ski that way", said Gut-Behrami.
2019 winner Marta Bassino finished in second place +0.07 seconds behind the Swiss. After finishing 5th in the first run, the Italian laid a flawless second run to jump to the second place. It's her 16th World Cup podium in Giant Slalom.
“I just tried to attack, without thinking so much, just thinking about my skiing. I knew I was skiing good in training. It was a really good slope with perfect conditions. I had a lot of fun”, said Bassino.
Leader of the first run Sara Hector rounded up the podium in third place +0.20 seconds behind Gut-Behrami.
“It was really perfect conditions, amazing to race here. A really cool race and I am so happy to walk away with a podium. I had such bad history here", said Hector.
The Swede best result in Killington was a 6th place on the Slalom last season. On the Giant Slalom her best position was a 22nd place in 2018.
Things didn't go according to plan for local hero Mikaela Shiffrin. The American, who has won the slalom five times in Killington and the first two this season in Levi, has to wait for her first Giant Slalom victory in Killington. The 27-year-old finished in the 13th position, 1.40 seconds behind the winner Lara Gut-Behrami.
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