Federica Brignone of Italy won the super-G race at Cortina, increasing her overall lead and earning her maiden World Cup victory at the Italian circuit.
Despite the presence of eso many thrilling competitors, Brignone’s 31st World Cup victory never seemed in doubt. The Italian skier, who started as the seventh skier, set a performance record of one minute and 21.64 seconds.
Brignone said: “Today I really attacked, I felt fast, at one point I felt a bit long but I still had a good feeling and I was aware that I had done a good race… Let’s hope this is the right time.”
Brignone’s current performance
Brignone’s performance this season has been outstanding. Her third-place finish in the downhill at Cortina gave her the highest position in the overall standings, marking her first-ever podium.
In a social media post, Brignone shared her win and stated (translated): “It’s never too late for a first time! This trip… I made it CORTINA!!! 😉 First time on the podium here!!”
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She is now second in the super-G standings after Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami. Last season, the Swiss skier won the overall title besides taking the super-G and giant globes title, while Brignone was runner-up in all three events.
Vonn’s crash
Lindsey Vonn scared the fans by crashing out on the third sector but returned unharmed.
Vonn, the four-time World Cup champion with 82 victories in total, retired in 2019 after multiple injuries all throughout her career. However, the American skier announced her comeback to the sport last November.
In a Super-G race in St. Anton, the 40-year-old skier finished fourth– her best result yet since her comeback. However, at Cortina, spectators and fellow competitors were shocked when Vonn crashed after swerving into a bend.
After finishing 20th in the downhill event, Vonn made a quick recovery but was frustrated she hadn’t done better. She had appeared to be on track to have a respectable time, finishing fourth fastest in the second sector.
Vonn said: “I’m not so happy. I know my skiing is good and I can be fast… My ambitions were different for this weekend.”
Source: CNA