Who needs visibility? Rebensburg wins first GS of the new year despite flat light
The first giant slalom of the new year in Flachau, Austria, warranted a battle amongst top contenders like overall points leader Lara Gut and American Lindsey Vonn. And a battle the audience got – just maybe not the one that was expected.
In fact, the World Snow Day battlefield favored a shake-up on the podium as Lindsey Vonn skied out on the second run and Gut finished outside of the top 15 – though still increasing her lead in the race for the overall title. Viktoria Rebensburg rose to the top for the first time this season after steadily building up to the result over the past few races. She tackled the changing light conditions in a challenging second run to win by 0.94 seconds – her first victory since 2013.
“It was a pretty special moment for me and it was tough to ski down there in the second run because there was really no visibility down there,” the German explained. “Yeah, but in the end, I skied good and took the win.”
“Now I can, for sure, enjoy it, but tomorrow the work is starting again for the next races,” she continued. “But for my self confidence, I think this is for sure pretty good to take it with me.”
She was followed by Slovenia’s Ana Drev in second place, her first World Cup podium finish ever.
“I almost can’t believe because I’m here really for such a long time and sometimes I didn’t believe anymore that I can succeed this, so I’m so happy,” Drev said, adding that this is the first season she hasn’t been plagued by injuries and pain in several years.
Italy’s Federica Brignone finished in third place, her fourth podium of the season, telling reporters that she was stressed before her second run.
“I don’t care about the weather when I’m racing,” she explained. “I just try to push and ski fast, but I felt awful. I felt like all the way doing mistakes and yeah, I was just telling me ‘Push, push’ and ‘not turn’ or ‘go faster’ because I felt really really slow. … When I saw the green light, I was really like ‘Wow.’”
Overall, the Italians had a dominant day with four skiers finishing in the top eight.
“When all the team is happy, that’s a pretty good thing you can share,” Brignone said. “Because if you’re going fast, but the others are not so good, that’s — I don’t know — you can not share and tell how happy you are. And when the girls are happy, too, there’s going to be a happy team.”
Despite constantly changing weather conditions on the course, two Austrians had finishes to celebrate. Stephanie Brunner and Carmen Thalmann each moved up 32 spots, finishing in fifth and 11th, respectively. Slalom powerhouse Petra Vlhova of Slovakia made an even bigger move – skiing from bib 63 to a 14th-place result.
Aside from Vonn who slid out in the second run, independent racer Megan McJames was the only other American to start the giant slalom, but she failed to finish the first run.
The women have a few days off before heading to Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, for speed races, beginning with a downhill training run on Jan. 21, 2016. Can the Italians carry the momentum onto their home turf?
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The Scoop
by Hank McKee
1. Rebensburg, Stoeckli/Lange/Atomic
2. Drev, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
3. Brignone, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
4. Brem, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
5. Brunner, Head/Head/Head
6. Fanchini, Dynastar/Lange/Look
7. Marsaglia, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
7. Moelgg, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
9. Barioz, Head/Head/Head
10. Gagnon, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
- Women’s World Cup giant slalom, Flachau, Austria, Jan. 17, 2016. … It is a make-up race from one canceled at Ofterschwang set for Jan. 16. … It is the 19th race of the women’s 41 race World Cup schedule. … The sixth of nine scheduled GSs. … It is the 24th World Cup race held at Flachau, the sixth GS and the second women’s GS after a March 9, 2002 race won by Sonja Nef.
- It is the third career World Cup win for Viktoria Rebensburg, her first since Jan. 20, 2013. … It is the first German win of the season. … The winning margin is 0.94 of a second. … Top three are within the same second. … Top nine within two seconds.
- It is the first career World Cup podium for Ana Drev, her previous best a seventh in GS Dec. 20, 2015 at Courchevel.
- It is the 11th career World Cup podium for Federica Brignone. … Her fourth podium of the season, all in GS.
- Lindsey Vonn, 10th after the first run was a 2nd run DNF. … no other American made a second run.
- Lara Gut (19th in race) leads the World Cup overall standings 750-700 over Vonn. … Frida Hansdotter (DNQ 2nd run) is third overall with 661pts.
- Eva-Maria Brem (fourth in race) leads the GS standings 392-362 over Gut. … Brignone is third with 325pts.
- Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup standings 2528-1894 over Italy. … Switzerland is third with 1854pts. … The U.S. is fifth at 1461 and Canada 10th at 599pts.
Official Results
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total Time | Diff. | FIS Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 205218 | REBENSBURG Viktoria | 1989 | GER | 1:12.57 | 1:16.94 | 2:29.51 | 0.00 | |
2 | 9 | 565268 | DREV Ana | 1985 | SLO | 1:12.53 | 1:17.92 | 2:30.45 | +0.94 | 6.16 |
3 | 4 | 297601 | BRIGNONE Federica | 1990 | ITA | 1:13.30 | 1:17.20 | 2:30.50 | +0.99 | 6.49 |
4 | 2 | 55898 | BREM Eva-Maria | 1988 | AUT | 1:12.93 | 1:18.22 | 2:31.15 | +1.64 | 10.75 |
5 | 37 | 56217 | BRUNNER Stephanie | 1994 | AUT | 1:14.12 | 1:17.13 | 2:31.25 | +1.74 | 11.41 |
6 | 12 | 296729 | FANCHINI Nadia | 1986 | ITA | 1:14.38 | 1:16.96 | 2:31.34 | +1.83 | 12.00 |
7 | 24 | 297702 | MARSAGLIA Francesca | 1990 | ITA | 1:14.87 | 1:16.49 | 2:31.36 | +1.85 | 12.13 |
7 | 16 | 296259 | MOELGG Manuela | 1983 | ITA | 1:13.64 | 1:17.72 | 2:31.36 | +1.85 | 12.13 |
9 | 20 | 196725 | BARIOZ Taina | 1988 | FRA | 1:14.42 | 1:17.02 | 2:31.44 | +1.93 | 12.65 |
10 | 27 | 105269 | GAGNON Marie-Michele | 1989 | CAN | 1:14.30 | 1:17.39 | 2:31.69 | +2.18 | 14.29 |
11 | 43 | 55977 | THALMANN Carmen | 1989 | AUT | 1:14.93 | 1:16.87 | 2:31.80 | +2.29 | 15.01 |
12 | 14 | 505760 | PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria | 1986 | SWE | 1:14.97 | 1:16.86 | 2:31.83 | +2.32 | 15.21 |
13 | 19 | 197319 | BAUD MUGNIER Adeline | 1992 | FRA | 1:14.29 | 1:17.56 | 2:31.85 | +2.34 | 15.34 |
14 | 63 | 705423 | VLHOVA Petra | 1995 | SVK | 1:14.87 | 1:17.03 | 2:31.90 | +2.39 | 15.67 |
15 | 22 | 298323 | GOGGIA Sofia | 1992 | ITA | 1:15.08 | 1:17.05 | 2:32.13 | +2.62 | 17.17 |
16 | 3 | 355050 | WEIRATHER Tina | 1989 | LIE | 1:13.49 | 1:18.71 | 2:32.20 | +2.69 | 17.63 |
17 | 11 | 55759 | KIRCHGASSER Michaela | 1985 | AUT | 1:13.93 | 1:18.46 | 2:32.39 | +2.88 | 18.88 |
18 | 8 | 299276 | BASSINO Marta | 1996 | ITA | 1:14.60 | 1:17.80 | 2:32.40 | +2.89 | 18.94 |
19 | 6 | 516138 | GUT Lara | 1991 | SUI | 1:13.14 | 1:19.28 | 2:32.42 | +2.91 | 19.07 |
20 | 53 | 56315 | TRUPPE Katharina | 1996 | AUT | 1:14.56 | 1:17.96 | 2:32.52 | +3.01 | 19.73 |
21 | 7 | 196928 | WORLEY Tessa | 1989 | FRA | 1:14.78 | 1:17.84 | 2:32.62 | +3.11 | 20.39 |
22 | 5 | 425771 | LOESETH Nina | 1989 | NOR | 1:13.42 | 1:19.33 | 2:32.75 | +3.24 | 21.24 |
23 | 26 | 505886 | KLING Kajsa | 1988 | SWE | 1:14.72 | 1:18.06 | 2:32.78 | +3.27 | 21.43 |
24 | 52 | 197651 | DIREZ Clara | 1995 | FRA | 1:15.15 | 1:17.73 | 2:32.88 | +3.37 | 22.09 |
25 | 18 | 106825 | PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier | 1988 | CAN | 1:14.10 | 1:19.03 | 2:33.13 | +3.62 | 23.73 |
26 | 45 | 206444 | HOESL Simona | 1992 | GER | 1:15.09 | 1:18.31 | 2:33.40 | +3.89 | 25.50 |
Did not qualify for 2nd run | ||||||||||
65 | 95050 | KIRKOVA Maria | 1986 | BUL | ||||||
64 | 665009 | SHKANOVA Maria | 1989 | BLR | ||||||
62 | 225572 | BROWN Cara | 1994 | GBR | ||||||
61 | 506146 | SWENN-LARSSON Anna | 1991 | SWE | ||||||
58 | 516284 | GISIN Michelle | 1993 | SUI | ||||||
57 | 197616 | ALPHAND Estelle | 1995 | FRA | ||||||
56 | 565471 | HROVAT Meta | 1998 | SLO | ||||||
55 | 565373 | ROBNIK Tina | 1991 | SLO | ||||||
54 | 197215 | MASSIOS Marie | 1992 | FRA | ||||||
51 | 56333 | MAIR Chiara | 1996 | AUT | ||||||
50 | 516344 | KOPP Rahel | 1994 | SUI | ||||||
48 | 516394 | SUTER Jasmina | 1995 | SUI | ||||||
47 | 56282 | RESCH Stephanie | 1995 | AUT | ||||||
46 | 155728 | DUBOVSKA Martina | 1992 | CZE | ||||||
44 | 298124 | AGNELLI Nicole | 1992 | ITA | ||||||
42 | 197124 | FRASSE SOMBET Coralie | 1991 | FRA | ||||||
40 | 206355 | DUERR Lena | 1991 | GER | ||||||
39 | 485731 | ROMANOVA Anastasia | 1993 | RUS | ||||||
36 | 306249 | HASEGAWA Emi | 1986 | JPN | ||||||
35 | 298694 | PICHLER Karoline | 1994 | ITA | ||||||
34 | 107387 | CRAWFORD Candace | 1994 | CAN | ||||||
33 | 56174 | HAASER Ricarda | 1993 | AUT | ||||||
32 | 225525 | TILLEY Alexandra | 1993 | GBR | ||||||
31 | 565331 | LAVTAR Katarina | 1988 | SLO | ||||||
30 | 516268 | WILD Simone | 1993 | SUI | ||||||
29 | 516280 | HOLDENER Wendy | 1993 | SUI | ||||||
25 | 196793 | MARMOTTAN Anemone | 1988 | FRA | ||||||
23 | 297910 | CURTONI Elena | 1991 | ITA | ||||||
21 | 425929 | MOWINCKEL Ragnhild | 1992 | NOR | ||||||
17 | 55576 | GOERGL Elisabeth | 1981 | AUT | ||||||
13 | 505679 | HANSDOTTER Frida | 1985 | SWE | ||||||
Did not finish 2nd run | ||||||||||
41 | 56241 | SCHNEEBERGER Rosina | 1994 | AUT | ||||||
28 | 196726 | BARTHET Anne-Sophie | 1988 | FRA | ||||||
15 | 296509 | CURTONI Irene | 1985 | ITA | ||||||
10 | 537544 | VONN Lindsey | 1984 | USA | ||||||
Did not finish 1st run | ||||||||||
60 | 435334 | GASIENICA-DANIEL Maryna | 1994 | POL | ||||||
59 | 516334 | CHABLE Charlotte | 1994 | SUI | ||||||
49 | 538284 | MCJAMES Megan | 1987 | USA | ||||||
38 | 107613 | GRENIER Valerie | 1996 | CAN |