On Thursday (06.02.2025) the first individual medals will be awarded at the Alpine Ski World Cup in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. The focus of the women’s super-G is above all the duel of Lara Gut-Behrami against Federica Brignone.
During the World Cup general rehearsal a week and a half ago in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Lara Gut-Behrami once again underlined her claims for the upcoming title fights in the Super-G. The best ski racer of the past winter has a big goal, she wants to get precious metal again at a World Cup. Because they will be their last intercontinental championships.
The 33-year-old had clearly and clearly announced in a voice message spread by Swiss television: “My next and last World Cup is coming up. I said it and so it is done for me.” The next World Cup would have taken place in its Swiss homeland. But the Ticino does not want to start in Crans-Montana in 2027. The 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo will be your last big event. Then she wants to take care of other things, such as family planning.
Next round in a permanent duel with Brignone
So many eyes will be aimed at the reigning Olympic champion in the Super-G. But logically, their competitors don’t just want to give the title simply – especially Federica Brignone.
In recent years, the Italian has delivered a kind of sporty private feud with good-Behrami in the second fastest alpine discipline. In the past four seasons, one of the two has always won the small crystal ball, with the Swiss with 3: 1 at the front. Brignone has never been worse than second in the Discipline World Cup in the past five years.
Federica Brignone and Lara Gut-Behrami on the podium
Only at WETL championships did not have to work completely for the native of Milan in the Super-G. The Brignone, which was one year older at the age of 34, achieved her best placement in Méribel in 2023 in Méribel. In the 2021 editions in Cortina and 2019 in Åre, she was tenth. The World Cup title 2021 stands out at Gut-Behrami. In 2013 she also won in Schladming with silver and in St. Moritz in 2017 with bronze two more World Cup medals in the Super-G.
Routes on the Zwölferkogel more for the gliders
But in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, the cards are re-mixed. The route is not considered very quickly, even small mistakes can have a big effect. At the 2024 season finale, Brignone showed that she copes well with the routes on the Zwölferkogel. In the Super-G she became second (Gut-Behrami: 7th) and also clearly ended up in the departure in front of her permanent rival.
But something has happened, the routes were adjusted, a few additional waves installed. Gut-Behrami, who most recently sued in Garmisch about problems in the knee, was best able to cope with the innovations in the first departure training on Tuesday. She drove the fastest time, Brignone finished third. But she doesn’t want to give that too much meaning: “That doesn’t count that much in the first training session”she said to the Swiss portal Blick.ch. But now it is about taking the positive feeling. And the knee? “It goes well”said the 33-year-old briefly.
Brignone in the second career spring
It is also good for Brignone when you look at the entire course of the season. Although she is once more behind Gut-Behrami in the Super-G rating, she is currently the overall World Cup leader and has the second large crystal ball after 2020.
It feels like she is in her second spring. In the five victories this winter, she set up one retirement record after another. It is not only the oldest alpine that has ever won a race, but has now also held this record in the sub-disciplines of giant slalom, super-G and departure.
Your secret? Already after the successful World Cup start in Sölden, she had the TV station Blue Sport said: “I’m pretty crazy and I am still there because I enjoy. I say to myself, on the day on which I no longer risk as much as now, is no longer as motivated, then no longer wants the stress, then then I stop. “ It seems to be very far away from that. In the Super-G, she now wants to get her second World Cup gold medal. In 2023 she had triumphed in the combination of Super-G and slalom, even then as the oldest world champion. Now she is considering great opportunities again.
With all her successes and records, the 32-time World Cup winner still lacks something in the medal cabinet: Olympic gold. She could get this at home in Italy in 2026 and would of course also be the oldest Olympic champion of all time. If you don’t thwart her old rival Lara Gut-Behrami.