Lara Gut-Behrami shows that she has lost none of her bite despite announcing her retirement. In Sölden, she skis onto the podium at the first opportunity and makes it clear that slowing down is not an option.
25.10.2025, 17:12
25.10.2025, 17:46
SDA
The light is green once again as Lara Gut-Behrami crosses the finish line in the second run in Sölden. On her second run over the Rettenbach glacier, she took even more risks and improved from 5th to 3rd place. "It's great to start like this," she says later. A clear statement that she still has a long way to go.
Just a few days earlier, the 34-year-old had emphasized how much she was looking forward to life after top-class sport. "The most important thing is to stay healthy," she said - more relaxed than ever. You would have thought she already had one foot in the new life. But once on the slopes, there is no sign of it.
Asked whether the podium finish at the "last Sölden" touched her emotionally, Gut-Behrami shrugs her shoulders. "I'm happy, of course, but otherwise there are no special feelings." She looks focused, almost sober and adds: "I didn't go to the gym every day in the summer to ski down the piste with a flag and wave to the fans. I'm too proud for that."
Ideal snow conditions
Gut-Behrami missed out on becoming the sole record holder in Sölden with a fourth triumph. However, her fifth podium classification in Sölden takes on a special significance, especially in view of last year. Back then, the Swiss skier decided not to take part in the race after inspecting the piste. She didn't feel confident enough because her preparation had not been optimal with a minor injury and illness. "Skiing is a discipline in which you need one hundred percent confidence," says Gut-Behrami. While she had to take a break last year, she felt ready to attack again this year.
The piste on the Rettenbach glacier is one of her favorites anyway. "It's great here every year," says Gut-Behrami. Although the surface is hard and icy, a lot of the snow comes back. "You can ski aggressively: I made more mistakes in the second run, but was still faster than in the first."
Big gap behind Gut-Behrami
As strong as Gut-Behrami presented herself, the performances of her teammates were just as poor. With Camille Rast, another Swiss woman just made it into the top 15, while Wendy Holdener and Vanessa Kasper finished in the last points positions. The following statistics also show how heavily Switzerland is dependent on Gut-Behrami in the giant slalom: 17 of the last 19 Swiss podium places in the giant slalom have gone to the Ticino native.
Gut-Behrami doesn't have to worry about what comes after her. Nevertheless, she says that it is too early to panic. Above all, the current coaching staff makes her look to the future with confidence. "I wish we'd always had coaches like that, who support us on the one hand and give us freedom on the other."
The current conditions are clearly right for her. Gut-Behrami has not been seen so liberated and at the same time eager to attack for a long time. Perhaps she will become a little more emotional in March, when her farewell is approaching. But Gut-Behrami is still riding as if she wants to delay her retirement a little.
