One other superior day unfolded in Colorado for racing, as the ladies showcased their abilities within the super-G occasion on the distinguished Birds of Prey course in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
This marked solely the second event in historical past {that a} super-G occasion had occurred in Beaver Creek, however the first time it was on a unique monitor.
Traditionally, this hill has been designated for males’s World Cup pace competitions, however this weekend the placement is now making historical past by that includes ladies’s pace occasions.
The ladies competed within the downhill yesterday for the primary time on the monitor and closed out the two-weekend Stifel Birds of Prey occasion with an exhilarating super-G.
The course set was punchable from the start, so the ladies couldn’t maintain something again. They wanted to let it go within the flatter sections, keep technically sound and nail the path over the blind spots.
Goggia Again At It
The Italian “pace queen,” Sofia Goggia, unveiled unimaginable confidence coming again to super-G competitors. The Olympian went full-send all through the complete course in her regular model of pushing the road, which paid off, incomes her seventh World Cup super-G victory of her profession.
Goggia’s composure and confidence as she skied on the sting is extraordinarily spectacular, as these are her first races again from a extreme fracture in her tibia and malleolus of her proper foot. “As soon as a bone is healed, I don’t let it maintain me again—it’s like nothing occurred,” she defined.
Goggia acknowledged, “My run was a very good one. I’ve identified since yesterday after the coach despatched us the video of the inspection.”
“As we speak I felt comfortable, and I introduced my pleasure of snowboarding,” Goggia acknowledged.
She got here into the end enviornment, kicking off her skis, and expressed her pleasure by dancing, which she known as “stirring the polenta.”
Goggia’s teammate, Federica Brignone who achieved fifth place right this moment defined the power of the Italian staff. She acknowledged, “We’re a powerful staff. We’re good skiers. So coaching with staff is all the time excessive stage, so we’re aggressive.”
The Podium
Lara Intestine-Behrami concluded the day in 2nd place (+0.48), including to her in depth podium achievements. The Swiss athlete has received three of the previous 4 super-G Crystal Globe titles, together with each of the previous two seasons. Thus, she hoped to safe the primary win of 2025.
From the start to the top, Intestine-Behrami was pushing it. She remained technically robust all through the course and nailed the road coming over the blind spots. Nevertheless, it was not sufficient to safe the highest of the rostrum.
Intestine Behrami defined, “As we speak it was a blended run, and I had a little bit downside on the highest. I couldn’t actually discover the suitable rhythm. However from the center I made a change, and it was a little bit higher than the highest.”
Being a veteran on the World Cup circuit and having years of expertise beneath her belt, she acknowledged, “It’s a little totally different as a result of I began after I was a child. So at that time I used to be having fun with what I used to be doing however had no thought what was occurring and what was anticipated of me. Now I’m on the finish of my profession and have youngsters at house, so it’s totally different for me.”
Ariane Raedler of Austria impressively punched into third place, 0.55 behind Goggia’s lead. Raedler has been racing World Cup super-G since 2019.
Earlier than the race right this moment, the 29-year-old achieved six top-10 ends in the self-discipline, together with one podium end. This marks her second podium end and a promising begin to her 2025 season.
Macuga Shines Once more on the Birds of Prey
Stifel US Ski Group athlete Lauren Macuga captured her career-best outcome yesterday within the first-ever ladies’s downhill on the Birds of Prey, and you could possibly see the arrogance she carried onto the monitor right this moment.
The primary U.S. athlete out of the beginning within the super-G took a dangerous, direct line that induced her to be late in sure key sections of the course. However, she held on, persevering with to assault from panel to panel, pushing her limits. She completed the day in twelfth place, the highest U.S. athlete.
She acknowledged, “I used to be actually late the complete approach down. It was actually good snowboarding, however I saved getting late. I used to be like, ‘Wow, I can’t imagine it.’ It was nonetheless a reasonably respectable run, regardless that by means of a number of turns I used to be late.”
Macuga has proven spectacular pace and power in super-G. She has achieved seven top-20 ends in the self-discipline, securing her first top-5 outcome final season.
North People Securing Tremendous-G Factors
Her teammates, Keely Cashman and Breezy Johnson joined Macuga within the prime 30.
After Nadia Delago’s crash Keely Cashman needed to stay composed on the prime of the race course as she was held there. Thankfully, Delago skied down unhurt, however a gate wanted restore.
Impressively, Cashman seemed unfazed by the hold-up as she ignited onto the race course. The Stifel US Ski Group athlete anticipated plenty of herself, so she took a straighter line than a few of her teammates aiming to discover a spot on the leaderboard. Cashman was capable of obtain a twenty first place end, incomes the Stifel Bibbo Award.
Cashamn acknowledged, “standing within the begin for a short time truly helped me relax and gave me time to collect my ideas. I felt good about my run.”
Breezy Johnson getting back from a suspension by the Anti-Doping Company (USADA) after lacking three whereabouts checks in a yr concluded the day in twenty eighth place. She was working a powerful line from the beginning, however received pushed late on the finish of the course, which value her a while. However, this was a promising outcome for her second race again.
Different North People Gaining Expertise on the New Monitor
Teammate Bella Wright skied aggressively proper out of the beginning gate and was attacking the panels. She, sadly, went a little bit too straight on the underside and needed to throw herself across the subsequent gate, combating to complete. With that mistake, she completed the day exterior of the highest 30.
Jacqualine Wiles and Tricia Mangan, each athletes of the Stifel US Ski Group, received hit with blustering winds on the prime of the course however impressively pushed by means of. Regardless of their efforts, they discovered it difficult to regain their confidence and couldn’t shut the hole, finally ending exterior the highest 30.
Haley Cutler kicked out her second World Cup race sporting bib-42. Though she was unable to safe factors, this was a stellar expertise for the U.S. athlete.
Lindsey Vonn Forerunning
Lindsey Vonn returned to the World Cup monitor as a forerunner for this Stifel Birds of Prey occasion. The Stifel US Ski Group athlete is absolutely excited to be racing once more pain-free and is thrilled to return to competitors.
After her super-G forerun, she acknowledged, “I believed it was actually enjoyable, and I believed I skied it fairly nicely. I made a little bit mistake on the underside, however it’s actually exhausting in super-G to not have a course report since you don’t know the way the speeds are going to be. However I believe it was a very strong run.”
“I believe right this moment was a little bit extra of a ship than yesterday. I believe yesterday was 80%, and right this moment, I believe it was a little bit extra like 90%,” Vonn defined.
She gave the course report for Macuga earlier than her run.
Macuga acknowledged, “She has a lot data on all of the pace and every part. So, simply having the ability to discuss to her by means of all of that’s actually useful, and her course report positively helps.”
Vonn will return to competing in opposition to the sector within the St. Moritz super-G subsequent weekend.
Mikaela Shiffrin Nonetheless Going through Harm Setbacks
The Stifel U.S. Ski Group star, Mikaela Shiffrin, was missed in the course of the super-G right this moment. The G.O.A.T. remains to be affected by damage setbacks from her crash earlier this season.
Shiffrin sadly had to return in for surgical procedure and acknowledged in a latest publish, “Seems I had a little bit cavity deeper than the wound tract that was crammed with previous hematoma and wasn’t correctly draining with wound vac or regular packing. So, we went in to scrub it out and shut it with sutures and a little bit JP drain to maintain the drainage flowing.”
She remains to be uncertain of when she is going to have the ability to come again to competitors, however hopefully this process will probably be a step ahead for Shiffrin.
High 30 Race Outcomes
High Three Evaluation
North American Evaluation
