Who needs visibility? Rebensburg wins first GS of the new year despite flat light

By Published On: January 17th, 2016Comments Off on 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.

FLACHAU,AUSTRIA,17.JAN.16 - ALPINE SKIING - FIS World Cup, giant slalom, ladies. Image shows the rejoicing of Viktoria Rebensburg (GER). Keywords: Stoeckli. Photo: GEPA pictures/ Andreas Pranter“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.

FLACHAU,AUSTRIA,17.JAN.16 - ALPINE SKIING - FIS World Cup, giant slalom, ladies. Image shows Ana Drev (SLO). Photo: GEPA pictures/ Andreas Pranter

“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.

FLACHAU,AUSTRIA,17.JAN.16 - ALPINE SKIING - FIS World Cup, giant slalom, ladies. Image shows Federica Brignone (ITA). Photo: GEPA pictures/ Thomas Bachun“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?

Stay current on the World Cup circuit by downloading the U.S. Ski Team iOS app powered by Ski Racing here.


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

Share This Article

About the Author: Gabbi Hall

A California native, Gabbi moved to Vermont to ski on the NCAA circuit for St. Michael’s College, where she served as team captain and studied journalism. Before joining Ski Racing, she worked as a broadcast TV producer and social media manager in higher education. She can be reached via email at gabbi@skiracing.com