Malorie Blanc sensationally wins the super-G in Crans-Montana ahead of Sofia Goggia and Breezy Johnson. It is the Valais native's first victory at the highest level.
Blanc made the difference against the competition on the technically demanding final slope, where no one was faster than the 22-year-old. Goggia distanced her by 18 hundredths at the finish, Johnson by 36 hundredths.
Blanc's lead wobbled more than once. Laura Pirovano in particular was well on her way to catching the young Valais skier. The 28-year-old Italian turned into the finish slope with a big lead, but missed the second-to-last gate after a bump and was eliminated. Downhill world champion Johnson missed out on a possible victory with a mistake before the final section.
The young German Emma Aicher was eliminated after a good start in the "Fuchsloch", where Lindsey Vonn also crashed in the downhill the day before. Unlike the 41-year-old American, who injured her left knee, skipped the main Olympic rehearsal on Saturday and is worried about her participation in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Aicher did not appear to have injured herself when she dropped out.
This is Blanc's first triumph in the World Cup. And in Crans-Montana of all places, in front of a home crowd and just a few kilometers from her home in Ayent. And of all places, because two years ago she tore a cruciate ligament in her left knee in the European Cup at the same venue and missed her baptism of fire in the World Cup the following week.
After her sensational start to her career with second place in her second race at the highest level a year ago in the downhill in St. Anton, Blanc was only able to tap into her undoubted potential at certain points. She has only finished in the top 10 twice since then, once this season at the Super-G in St. Moritz.
Blanc's coup not only raises Swiss hopes of an exploit at the Olympic Games, but also for the World Championships, which will be held next year on the Mont Lachaux piste on the Valais high plateau. Apart from the winner, the Swiss-Ski athletes disappointed once again. Jasmina Suter was the second-best Swiss racer in 16th place.
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