After silver streak, Brem strikes gold in Courchevel
On Sunday, Austria’s Eva-Maria Brem could have become the second woman in the last 18 years to finish in second place in three successive giant slalom races. Instead, she opted for something a little more flashy in Courchevel, France: her second World Cup win ever and a pretty epic, blue sparkle victory helmet.
“Sometimes it felt too long (between victories), but I just tried to be patient and keep working hard,” Brem said. “I always had the feeling that one day it would be a win again, but I need to be patient. Today was the day, and I’m so happy.”
Patience and experience paid off for her. She said the last two years of World Cup racing experience helped her “get through it, keep calm, and just keep working.”
Behind her were two familiar faces on the World Cup podium, Nina Loeseth of Norway and Lara Gut of Switzerland, who tied for second place 0.17 seconds off of Brem. But this was Loeseth’s first World Cup giant slalom podium finish – something that seemed perhaps inevitable given her increasingly strong performances in the discipline this season, skiing to 18th in Soelden, sixth in Aspen, and most recently fifth in Are.
“I was a bit shocked, I have to say, but my GS has been very consistent and very strong the last month and a half,” Loeseth said. “But to have a podium and a second place, my best career result ever, I’m very happy.”
Loeseth credits her career-best finish to all of the puzzle pieces finally fitting together.
“I think I’m just figuring everything out: how me and my coach are working together, it’s working really great, how the whole team around me, my service guy, and everybody, everything seems to be falling into place and it’s a really good feeling,” she continued.
As for Gut, this marks her second giant slalom podium of the season, and it helped her make a move in the overall standings, where she now holds the lead – 58 points ahead of American Lindsey Vonn.
Vonn, who won the GS in Are, Sweden, a week earlier, finished in 10th, unable to take advantage of the gorgeous spring-like weather and feeling less than stellar after a mishap in the Val d’Isere downhill the day before.
“I didn’t really feel very balanced today,” Vonn said. “I think I just rung my bell a little bit yesterday. … It was an effort, a good effort. I tried really hard and I got some points, so that’s good.”
Vonn was the lone American in the final run. Independent skier Megan McJames finished 54th on the first run and Stacey Cook — a speed specialist — had a fast top split and ended up immediately behind McJames in 55th.
“I mean it’s definitely weird,” Vonn said of the virtually non-existent U.S. tech team. “In Are, I was the only person racing, so it’s weird to not have a tech team. But I’m psyched that Stacey was here today. It was nice to have another teammate on the hill for at least one run.”
The “weird” didn’t stop there. World Cup GS points leader, Fredrica Brignone of Italy, failed to finish the race. She had a strong first run, but crossed her tips and skied out on the second. But on one athlete’s worst day, another might turn an inspired performance. Carmen Thalmann of Austria made a huge jump, moving from bib 45 to 11th place – earning 24 World Cup points in the process — just behind teammate Michaela Kirchgasser, who finished 10th.
The women’s circuit will take a short break for the holidays as athletes relax and spend time with family. The tour picks up again on Dec. 28 in Lienz, Austria, for another giant slalom.
View more photos from today’s race here.
Fans can stay current on the World Cup circuit by downloading the new U.S. Ski Team iOS app powered by Ski Racing here.
The Scoop
By Hank McKee
2. Gut, Head/Head/Head
4. Rebensburg, Stockli/Lange/Atomic
5. Pietilae-Holmner, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
6. Goggia, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7. Drev, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
8. Weirather, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
9. Hansdotter, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
10. Kirchgasser, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
- Women’s World Cup giant slalom, Courchevel, France, Dec. 20, 2015. … It is the 12th race of the women’s 41 race World Cup schedule …the fourth of nine scheduled GSs. … It is the second of three GSs being held in 16 days.
- It is the second career World Cup win for Eva-Maria Brem, the first having come at Aspen Nov. 29, 2014. … She had been second in GS twice previously this season (Aspen Nov. 27 and Are Dec. 12). … It is the first win of the season for the Austrian women’s team. … Winning margin is .17 of a second. … Top eight skiers are within the same second.
- It is a career best placing for Nina Loeseth and her third career podium. … She had recorded a third in slalom at Zagreb Jan. 4, 2015 and a third in slalom at Are Dec. 13.
- It is the 24th career World Cup podium for Lara Gut and her fourth of the season (the other three all wins).
- It is the 26th best of 36 GS results for Lindsey Vonn and marks her first double-digit placing of the season in six completed races. … Marie-Michele Gagnon matches her 44th best of 86 career scoring finishes. … It is her second best of five results this season. … It is the third score of the season for Marie-Pier Prefontaine, all in GS.
- Gut leads the World Cup overall standings 558-500 over Vonn (13th in race). … Frida Hansdotter (ninth in race) is third overall with 344pts. … Mikaela Shiffrin (did not race) is fifth overall with 296pts.
- Brem leads the GS standings 292-250 over Gut. … Federica Brignone (DNF 2nd) is third with 220pts. … Vonn is ninth at 120pts.
- Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup standings 1563-1230 over Switzerland. … The U.S. is third with 1112 pts. … Canada is eighth with 345pts.
Official Results
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total Time | Diff. | FIS Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 7 | 55898 | BREM Eva-Maria | 1988 | AUT | 1:01.29 | 1:00.43 | 2:01.72 | 0.00 | |
2 | 14 | 425771 | LOESETH Nina | 1989 | NOR | 1:01.59 | 1:00.30 | 2:01.89 | +0.17 | 1.37 |
2 | 2 | 516138 | GUT Lara | 1991 | SUI | 1:01.38 | 1:00.51 | 2:01.89 | +0.17 | 1.37 |
4 | 5 | 205218 | REBENSBURG Viktoria | 1989 | GER | 1:01.72 | 1:00.38 | 2:02.10 | +0.38 | 3.06 |
5 | 15 | 505760 | PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria | 1986 | SWE | 1:02.09 | 1:00.31 | 2:02.40 | +0.68 | 5.47 |
6 | 23 | 298323 | GOGGIA Sofia | 1992 | ITA | 1:02.88 | 59.54 | 2:02.42 | +0.70 | 5.64 |
7 | 18 | 565268 | DREV Ana | 1985 | SLO | 1:02.86 | 59.66 | 2:02.52 | +0.80 | 6.44 |
8 | 4 | 355050 | WEIRATHER Tina | 1989 | LIE | 1:02.56 | 1:00.09 | 2:02.65 | +0.93 | 7.49 |
9 | 9 | 505679 | HANSDOTTER Frida | 1985 | SWE | 1:02.02 | 1:00.74 | 2:02.76 | +1.04 | 8.37 |
10 | 12 | 55759 | KIRCHGASSER Michaela | 1985 | AUT | 1:01.82 | 1:01.18 | 2:03.00 | +1.28 | 10.31 |
11 | 45 | 55977 | THALMANN Carmen | 1989 | AUT | 1:02.61 | 1:00.45 | 2:03.06 | +1.34 | 10.79 |
12 | 17 | 197319 | BAUD MUGNIER Adeline | 1992 | FRA | 1:02.98 | 1:00.24 | 2:03.22 | +1.50 | 12.08 |
13 | 10 | 537544 | VONN Lindsey | 1984 | USA | 1:02.18 | 1:01.17 | 2:03.35 | +1.63 | 13.12 |
14 | 25 | 105269 | GAGNON Marie-Michele | 1989 | CAN | 1:02.84 | 1:00.61 | 2:03.45 | +1.73 | 13.93 |
15 | 50 | 56315 | TRUPPE Katharina | 1996 | AUT | 1:04.13 | 59.34 | 2:03.47 | +1.75 | 14.09 |
16 | 13 | 296509 | CURTONI Irene | 1985 | ITA | 1:03.29 | 1:00.24 | 2:03.53 | +1.81 | 14.57 |
17 | 22 | 196793 | MARMOTTAN Anemone | 1988 | FRA | 1:03.48 | 1:00.49 | 2:03.97 | +2.25 | 18.12 |
18 | 39 | 56087 | SIEBENHOFER Ramona | 1991 | AUT | 1:03.96 | 1:00.06 | 2:04.02 | +2.30 | 18.52 |
19 | 16 | 106825 | PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier | 1988 | CAN | 1:03.59 | 1:00.62 | 2:04.21 | +2.49 | 20.05 |
20 | 37 | 56217 | BRUNNER Stephanie | 1994 | AUT | 1:03.45 | 1:00.94 | 2:04.39 | +2.67 | 21.50 |
21 | 27 | 196726 | BARTHET Anne-Sophie | 1988 | FRA | 1:03.56 | 1:00.95 | 2:04.51 | +2.79 | 22.46 |
22 | 29 | 516280 | HOLDENER Wendy | 1993 | SUI | 1:03.86 | 1:00.69 | 2:04.55 | +2.83 | 22.79 |
23 | 32 | 565331 | LAVTAR Katarina | 1988 | SLO | 1:04.28 | 1:00.80 | 2:05.08 | +3.36 | 27.05 |
24 | 20 | 196725 | BARIOZ Taina | 1988 | FRA | 1:03.42 | 1:01.80 | 2:05.22 | +3.50 | 28.18 |
25 | 19 | 425929 | MOWINCKEL Ragnhild | 1992 | NOR | 1:03.80 | 1:01.53 | 2:05.33 | +3.61 | 29.07 |
Did not start 1st run | ||||||||||
59 | 315187 | IGNJATOVIC Nevena | 1990 | SRB | ||||||
Did not qualify for 2nd run | ||||||||||
64 | 537582 | COOK Stacey | 1984 | USA | ||||||
62 | 35156 | BANCORA Salome | 1993 | ARG | ||||||
61 | 516504 | DANIOTH Aline | 1998 | SUI | ||||||
58 | 405138 | JELINKOVA Adriana | 1995 | NED | ||||||
57 | 298904 | CILLARA ROSSI Valentina | 1994 | ITA | ||||||
56 | 435334 | GASIENICA-DANIEL Maryna | 1994 | POL | ||||||
55 | 565360 | STUHEC Ilka | 1990 | SLO | ||||||
54 | 516284 | GISIN Michelle | 1993 | SUI | ||||||
53 | 197616 | ALPHAND Estelle | 1995 | FRA | ||||||
52 | 565373 | ROBNIK Tina | 1991 | SLO | ||||||
51 | 197215 | MASSIOS Marie | 1992 | FRA | ||||||
49 | 506350 | EKLUND Nathalie | 1992 | SWE | ||||||
48 | 197651 | DIREZ Clara | 1995 | FRA | ||||||
47 | 516344 | KOPP Rahel | 1994 | SUI | ||||||
46 | 538284 | MCJAMES Megan | 1987 | USA | ||||||
44 | 516394 | SUTER Jasmina | 1995 | SUI | ||||||
43 | 425880 | SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth | 1991 | NOR | ||||||
42 | 197124 | FRASSE SOMBET Coralie | 1991 | FRA | ||||||
41 | 485563 | PROSTEVA Elena | 1990 | RUS | ||||||
40 | 56328 | ORTLIEB Nina | 1996 | AUT | ||||||
38 | 155699 | PAULATHOVA Katerina | 1993 | CZE | ||||||
36 | 107532 | TOMMY Mikaela | 1995 | CAN | ||||||
35 | 298694 | PICHLER Karoline | 1994 | ITA | ||||||
34 | 225525 | TILLEY Alexandra | 1993 | GBR | ||||||
33 | 56174 | HAASER Ricarda | 1993 | AUT | ||||||
28 | 516268 | WILD Simone | 1993 | SUI | ||||||
26 | 297702 | MARSAGLIA Francesca | 1990 | ITA | ||||||
24 | 505886 | KLING Kajsa | 1988 | SWE | ||||||
21 | 297910 | CURTONI Elena | 1991 | ITA | ||||||
8 | 296259 | MOELGG Manuela | 1983 | ITA | ||||||
Did not finish 2nd run | ||||||||||
30 | 306249 | HASEGAWA Emi | 1986 | JPN | ||||||
11 | 299276 | BASSINO Marta | 1996 | ITA | ||||||
6 | 297601 | BRIGNONE Federica | 1990 | ITA | ||||||
3 | 296729 | FANCHINI Nadia | 1986 | ITA | ||||||
1 | 196928 | WORLEY Tessa | 1989 | FRA | ||||||
Did not finish 1st run | ||||||||||
63 | 155503 | KLICNAROVA Pavla | 1988 | CZE | ||||||
60 | 206520 | DORSCH Patrizia | 1994 | GER | ||||||
31 | 56128 | HUETTER Cornelia | 1992 | AUT |