After US star Mikaela Shiffrin was transported away by the rescue helicopter, there was fear before the US Ski Association announced that the World Cup dominator had given the all-clear. An initially feared cruciate ligament injury did not occur. Olympic champion Corinne Suter, who injured her knee, was also injured in the same place as Shiffrin.
Thanks to a hussar ride in the final section, Venier won with a lead of 0.37 seconds over the Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami. Christina Ager came third with the Italian Sofia Goggia and the Canadian Valerie Grenier (both +0.71) and thus made it onto the World Cup podium for the first time. Venier celebrated almost exactly five years after her only previous World Cup victory, when the Tyrolean won the downhill race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (January 27, 2019).
“Didn’t expect that”
“I had a good feeling, but I didn’t expect it to be enough for first place,” said Venier on ORF. Zauchensee’s downhill runner-up was already doing well in training on Wednesday, finishing second. “Zauchensee gave me a lot of self-confidence. You can see that when driving,” said the 30-year-old. Venier also brought an end to a long dry spell for Austria’s downhill skiers. Nicole Schmidhofer was the last athlete to win in the fastest discipline in Lake Louise just over four years ago. The second downhill run (10.30 a.m.) is on the program in Cortina on Saturday, followed by a Super-G on Sunday (10.30 a.m. / live on ORF 1).
Image: TIZIANA FABI (AFP)
On the Tofana, the second training session on Thursday was canceled due to warm temperatures and strong winds. The fast route surprised the first runners in bright sunshine. Cornelia Hütter, who started with number six, also had problems in the middle section and lost her line after a jump. “The pace from top to bottom is higher, it gets down to business. But downhill sport is a risky sport. That’s how it is with us,” said the Styrian, who ended up eighth. Mirjam Puchner also made it into the top ten in ninth place.
Shiffrin lost his balance after a bump
Shiffrin, who was the eighth runner at the start, was taking part in a speed race for the fourth time this winter. The American lost her balance after a bump before the second split, fell and hit the safety net. She was treated for several minutes and then limped off the slope, partly supported by carers, her face contorted in pain. She was then transported away by the rescue helicopter for more detailed examinations.
The race was interrupted for a long time. US Ski later released a WhatsApp screenshot from Shiffrin to her teammates. “Everything is okay,” wrote the overall World Cup leader. According to an association statement, an initial diagnosis at the Cortina hospital found that the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments were intact. More information would follow.
Federica Brignone also finished her run in the snow before Suter also got hit. The Swiss woman stopped her descent early after landing after a long jump, grabbed her knee and screamed in pain. She also had to be transported away by helicopter. Four of the first eleven runners dropped out; Ester Ledecka was not at the start.
“One of the most beautiful feelings”
Gut-Behrami then drove tactically, chose the right line and recorded the best time. Goggia, who started the race as the favorite, drove rather cautiously and came in second. Venier came with number 18. The Tyrolean was initially behind the leader, but then distanced Gut-Behrami in the lower part by a good six tenths of a second and thus moved up to the top.
“It’s one of the best feelings when you reach the finish line and see the number one light up,” said the winner. The long wait after Shiffrin and Suter’s rides didn’t really bother them, says Venier. “It wasn’t that easy, but I looked at every fall and had to know how it happened. That they were mistakes that I shouldn’t have made. I was well prepared for it.” The Tyrolean said about her current form: “You can see that it pays off if you stick with it.” Above all, she is now more stable in her head and can start with more confidence.
Ager also knew how to impress and was happy to share the podium place. “It’s nice, five people are happy instead of three,” said the Tyrolean. She “simply showed a run without any major blunders. I always said I needed patience and I just have to keep going. At some point the day will come when it works.” Ager also saw Venier, who was two years older, as a bit of a role model. “She had a long dry spell, kept going – and now it’s working.”
