Switzerland’s Lara Gut began the new Alpine Skiing World Cup season in style by dominating the opening Giant Slalom in Soelden, Austria.
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Switzerland’s Lara Gut began the new Alpine Skiing World Cup season in style by dominating the opening Giant Slalom in Soelden, Austria.
The first women’s champion from Switzerland in more than two decades, held a 1.42 second lead following the first run and then backed that up with a commanding performance in the afternoon on the icy slopes to open up her 2016/2017 World Cup account.
Gut claimed her 19th career victory by 1.44 seconds over American Mikaela Shiffrin.
Shiffrin put in a near-flawless second run but it just wasn’t enough to knock Gut off top spot and left the 21-year-old in the Soelden runner’s up spot for a second straight year.
Marta Bassino of Italy claimed her very first World Cup podium placing with third.
She was third after the first run and held that position to notch up a 100th podium finish in a giant slalom for an Italian female skier.
Reigning champion in the discipline Eva-Maria Brem of Austria was fifth.