CRANS-MONTANA (AFP) – Italy’s Marta Bassino was surprise winner of the second women’s World Cup downhill in 24 hours at Crans-Montana yesterday Bassino, 27, sealed her first World Cup win in the discipline at the main expense of her compatriot Federica Brignone, second at .54s.
In-form Swiss star Lara Gut-Behrami, who won Friday’s downhill, finished third at 1.11s to extend her lead in the overall standings. The 32-year-old goes into the super-G at her home resort 165 points clear of Mikaela Shiffrin in the race for the large crystal globe for the overall title.
Shiffrin, a five-time overall winner, is recovering from a left knee injury and is targeting a return in early March.
Gut-Behrami, already on top of the overall, giant and super-G standings, also took command of the downhill table by 19 points from Sofia Goggia, whose season has been ended by a broken leg.
Bassino made the most of starting third to find the best route down the Mont-Lachaux slope bathed in spring sunshine.
“I already felt the snow becoming a little softer,” Bassino told RTS.
“I was surprised to see opponents behind with such a gap” added the skier who took fifth the day before. Her fellow Italian Brignone remarked, “It’s cool to be on the podium together.”
Gut-Behrami reflected on “a complicated day” after failing to produce “the perfect run” she had envisaged, but she was nevertheless satisfied “with a decent” run.
“I’ll do everything now to recover” for the super-G, a race she won at the Swiss resort in 2021.
