Crans Montana: triumph of Sofia Goggia in front of Federica Brignone

After the World Cup finished with a fork (and subsequent disqualification) in descent, after the fall in the only test, after a black period inaugurated by the flight of Cortina, Sofia Goggia is back. But the descent of Crans Montana (Svi) complicated by a thick snowfall is all blue: Federica Brignone is only 15/100, a breath away from her first success in the specialty. It is the eighth success of the season for the Italian women, the count of podiums rises to 21.

Goggia closed in 1’26”81. On the podium also the French Gauche (at 41/100) who made the most of the best visibility to conquer the best placement in her career. In seventh place is another Italian, Laura Pirovano (70/100). “They have been two difficult days for me – acknowledged Goggia -. Playing a single test and exiting at the fifth gate wasn’t easy. We first 15 started in the dark, I knew that if there was a girl who could beat me it was Fede. I managed to be faster here in the finale”.

The race

—

It wasn’t an easy race, due to track conditions and visibility (which then gradually improved after the first 15) which forced the jury to postpone the start by half an hour. The French Miradoli fell, fortunately without consequences, and slipped out of the nets, the American Wright also ended up in the nets. Goggia, who started with number 9, built the success in the final part, where she built the decisive advantage. After starting very well, Brignone was unable to be as fast after recording the same time as her partner in the last intermediate. The other big names are in difficulty: from Gut (at 89/100) to the new world champion Flury, who finished 1″21 behind Marta Bassino (fifteenth at 1″19).

The cup

—

Ninth place for Ilka Stuhec, direct competitor of Sofia for the specialty Cup: Goggia now has 179 points ahead of the Slovenian and the descent of Kvitfjell and that of the finals in Soldeu (Andorra) remain to be disputed.

Record

—

For Goggia it is the twenty-second success in the World Cup (she surpasses Brignone’s 21 victories in the ranking of the multiple Italian winners), the 17th in downhill, the fifth out of 7 downhills this season after the double in Lake Louise, St. Moritz and Cortina. The Cup moves to Norway: two super-Gs and a downhill in Kvitfjell are scheduled for the next weekend.