Swiss skier Malorie Blanc triumphed in the final women’s World Cup race before the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics on Saturday. This victory came as Lindsey Vonn opted out of the super-G following a knee injury sustained in a downhill crash the day before. The event in Crans-Montana, which had been subdued due to a recent tragic incident at a local bar, found a fitting winner in Blanc, who hails from the nearby town of Ayent.
Expressing her joy, Blanc stated, “I am thrilled to have put on this performance, which is truly a gift for the people and their unwavering support.” Despite finishing second in a downhill race in Austria last year for her sole previous World Cup podium finish, the 22-year-old skier had clinched the junior world titles in super-G and team combined events in 2024.
Blanc secured the victory by a narrow margin of 0.18 seconds over Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, while Breezy Johnson, Vonn’s teammate, claimed the third spot trailing by 0.36 seconds. Notably, it was Johnson’s first career podium finish in a super-G race, adding to her eight top-three results in downhill races.
Following Vonn’s crash on Friday, which led to the cancellation of the downhill event due to deteriorating visibility, the weather improved significantly overnight. The super-G race on Saturday took place under clear skies and sunshine, providing a smoother snow surface on the Mont Lachaux course compared to the challenging conditions faced during the downhill race.
Although Laura Pirovano of Italy held a significant lead of 0.58 seconds at the final checkpoint, she missed a gate in the twisty bottom section near the finish line. Emma Aicher, the winner of the previous super-G race in Italy, fell and slid off the course after a strong start but fortunately avoided serious injury.
Despite some dramatic incidents, including a crash by French skier Laura Gauche, who got temporarily stuck under a safety barrier after crossing the finish line, the race proceeded without major disruptions. This super-G event marked only the fourth of the season, following a cancellation in Austria three weeks ago, which will be rescheduled after the Olympics in Andorra.
With Vonn absent from the competition, Goggia extended her lead in the season standings by 60 points over Alice Robinson of New Zealand, with Vonn now in third place and trailing the Italian skier by 90 points.
