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≡ WORLD ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS ≡
Italian star Federica Brignone, 34, added to her sparkling career with a second career FIS World Alpine Championships gold in Saalbach (AUT), dominating the women’s Giant Slalom.
Brignone was the leader after the first run by 0.67 seconds – a big lead in skiing – and then won the second run as well – by 0.23 – to finish in 2:22.71 and her third major medal in the event.
She previously won the Olympic GS silver in Beijing in 2022 and the GS bronze in PyeongChang in 2018. And this was her third Worlds medal in the Giant Slalom, finally getting gold after silvers in 2011 and 2023. She was thrilled:
“It was my dream since always. I mean, in GS I have this love and hate [relationship] because, for some reason, it’s the one where I’m more stressed. Sometimes I can’t handle the pressure, and I feel so bad in the start.
“But today was really nice and when I can do it, it’s just amazing.”
A clear second was New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, 23, a four-time winner on the World Cup tour and all in Giant Slaloms. She also registered a rare double, finishing second on both runs and second overall in 2:23.61, for her first Worlds medal.
Third was not as clear. American Paula Moltzan, who skied the Slalom leg of the women’s Team Combined and started as the leader, had only the 15th-fastest time on her run and slid to fourth and out of the medals. On Thursday, she was brilliant on the first run and stood third in the field at 1:11.68. When she came up for her second run, she was in good position, but had – again – the 15th-fastest time.
But, everyone below her also had trouble; the nos. 4-5-6 skiers had the 13th-19th-9th fastest second runs in the field and Moltzan’s combined time of 2:25.33 was good enough for the bronze medal, 0.01 ahead of Norway’s Thea Louse St Jernesund!
So, Moltzan, 30, won her second Worlds medal, as she was part of the winning U.S. squad in the Team Event at the 2023 Worlds, but her first individual medal. She has four career World Cup medals (0-2-2) and won a bronze this season in the Giant Slalom in Kronplatz (ITA) on 21 January, a good omen for her Worlds success.
“I feel happy, joyful. It’s been kind of a roller coaster of a season with results and with emotions,” said Moltzan. “So for it to play out on a really big stage is really emotional.”
That’s the fourth American women’s medal so far at the Worlds, with the Slalom (and Mikaela Shiffrin) still to come. The other U.S. finishers on Thursday included A.J. Hurt in 13th (2:27.31) and Katie Hensien in 22nd (2:28.47).
The men’s Giant Slalom is on Friday.
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