
Lara Gut-Behrami makes a statement in the first training session for Saturday's women's World Championship downhill. The 33-year-old from Ticino sets the best time in Saalbach.
Gut-Behrami was only not among the fastest at the top, but then turned on the heat and set a time that none of her competitors could match. "There are a lot of built-in waves, which is not normally my strength at all. But I managed it today," she told ORF after training.
The closest Gut-Behrami came was Breezy Johnson. The 29-year-old American only lost five hundredths. All the other racers lost significantly more time. The co-favorites Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia in 3rd and 5th place were already 63 and 79 hundredths behind respectively. German talent Emma Aicher finished between the Italians.
Priska Ming-Nufer was ahead of Michelle Gisin in the battle for the fourth Swiss starting place. In 8th place, the 32-year-old lost 1.62 seconds to the fastest in training. Gisin lost 2.12 seconds and finished in a three-way tie for 17th place behind Malorie Blanc and Corinne Suter, who came third in the World Championships in Méribel.