This weekend’s races offered unexpected results and a thrilling spectacle from beginning to end. One young skier stunned everybody in the ladies’ camp with her performance. In the men’s camp, one old champion remembered what it is to be unbeatable.
Kvitfjell: Surprises And Old News
Downhill
On Friday, the first to show her form was the American Jacqueline Wiles, who apparently desired to show the coaches that she should have been given a chance in the World Championships. However, the American women´s team competition is tough this season.
Wiles was soon deposed by the current World Cup leader, the phenomenal Federica Brignone (ITA). More was to come on Friday. First, Cornelia Hütter (AUT) finally found her last year´s form, was 0,51 seconds faster than Brignone and sat in the red chair for the rest of the race.
Neither Sofia Goggia (ITA) nor Breezy Johnson (USA) could depose her. Closest to Hütter’s performance, however, came the 21-year-old miracle Emma Aicher from Germany. She had bib number 27 and threatened Hütter’s lead, as she was only 0,15 seconds slower. Thus, Friday’s podium ranks were decided with Hütter first, Aicher second, and Johnson third.
On Saturday, the sky was a little darker as Lauren Macuga (USA) arrived in the finish with bib number 3 in the fastest time, and nobody could topple her. It looked like the American, having a fantastic season, would win her first World Cup downhill race. Friday’s winner, Cornelia Hütter, only managed to finish behind her. But then, Emma Aicher started with bib number 16 and was 0,03 seconds faster, claiming her first-ever World Cup win.
Aicher entered the World Cup stage in 2022; since the 2024 season, she has been racing all disciplines and placing in the top 30 everywhere except the giant slalom. But only this season she seems to have found the perfect form in the downhill.
Super-G
On Sunday, Federica Brignone did not give anybody a chance, as she was the fastest with a perfect run with number 6. Sofia Goggia was trying hard, risking everything; however, a fault in her equipment (lost buckle on the boot) saved Brignone, and Goggia only managed third. Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) was fast and precise and showed one of the season’s best super-G performances. But still, she was 0,06 slower than Brignone.
So, this was it; this time, no young miracle disturbed the joy of the experienced speed queens as Brignone won, Gut-Behrami finished second, and Goggia third.
Kranjska Gora: The Slalom King Is Back
Giant Slalom
The conditions in Kranjska Gora reminded us of spring, as is usual in this part of the season, and skiers with their technicians did prepare for the salted surface. Marco Odermatt (SUI) had a decent first run, but Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR) soon stole his lead by a 0.15-second margin. The biggest surprise was the performance of Joan Verdu from Andorra, whose coach set the course. Verdu finished third with bib number 18, only 0,52 seconds behind the leader.
The second run’s questions were: will Marco Odermatt mobilize all his strength and finally find his old giant slalom self? Will Kristoffersen put two good runs together? Will Verdu hold his nerves?
The best skiing in the second run was performed by Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (BRA), who seems to be struggling a little after his stellar entrance into this season. He held onto the red chair and waited for what the first three would do about that. Verdu tried hard but was visibly tired at the end of this long course and would not get his podium. Marco Odermatt was not as light on the edges and not as clean as he should have been to depose Braathen. And as he finished with a 0,11-second gap on the leading Brazilian, Braathen could not believe his eyes. And Odermatt, visibly frustrated, had to wait for Kristoffersen to see what his final rank would be.
Henrik Kristoffersen did not give anybody a moment’s hope; he did not lose his lead for a single split and finished first to claim a World Cup win in a venue where he got his first podium finish back in the 2013 season.
Slalom
The slalom Sunday featured a little trickier but still bearable conditions. The first run results list featured three Norwegians in the top 10 and Loic Meillard (SUI), the ruling World Champion, as a leader.
But in the second run, Kristoffersen showed everybody the perfect blend of aggression and precision and sat in the red chair with six skiers to go.
Manuel Feller (AUT) was happy with his performance. Although he could not topple Kristoffersen, he showed a solid run that brought him third place in the final rankings.
Nobody else was faster than Kristoffersen; only his best friend, Timon Haugan, fit in second place, and the two friends enjoyed their first podium together.
Fans always love emotional pictures, and it is also pleasant to see someone like Henrik Kristoffersen in the top spot. Henrik is a fighter; he was on the very top, chasing and being chased by Marcel Hirscher in his youth. He went through a deep valley of losses and doubts about his career and returned to the highest ranks due to his resilience and grit.
As he is leading the slalom overall rankings and is currently losing only 41 points on Marco Odermatt in the giant slalom rankings, we can expect this season to be thrilling to the very end.
