Catching the High: Federica Brignone Triumphs, Emma Aicher Falters in Thrilling La Thuile Ski Race
Historic victory sparks disorder in Brignone's realm
With a whiff of home-field advantage, Italian skier Federica Brignone claims the overall World Cup title in a nail-biting Super-G race. Meanwhile, reigning champion Emma Aicher of Germany crashes out in a disappointing turn of events.
Someone stole the show in the Super-G competition held at La Thuile, and it was none other than the season's undisputed queen, Federica Brignone. The Italian skier narrowly defeated her fellow countrywoman Sofia Goggia by a mere hundredth of a second. The determined racer, Romane Miradoli of France, claimed third place, trailing behind by 0.05 seconds.
German whiz Emma Aicher, who clinched the first Super-G victory at La Thuile the previous day, experienced a stumble this time around. Despite setting a promising intermediate time, she unfortunately fell victim to a skiing mishap, bringing her snowy journey to an abrupt halt.
The triumphant Brignone's victory, secured in her hometown, couldn't have been more timely. At 34, Brignone sets a historic record as the oldest World Cup winner ever, leading by a sizeable 382-point margin over Lara Gut-Behrami. With the latter expected to sit out the slalom event at the season finale in Sun Valley, USA, and lacking any real chance of a top placement, Brignone's impenetrable lead all but assures her the overall title.
Emotional Brignone's unbelievable journey - Tears from her mother
Displaying an array of emotions upon reaching the finish line, Brignone exclaimed, "Mind-boggling! It's been my lifelong dream to celebrate here in front of my people." As her mother wept tears of joy, the World Champion skier continued, "There's a ton of crazy feelings here. Winning the overall World Cup was always my biggest goal. I've achieved it twice now."
Set to potentially claim three disciplines this season, Brignone currently possesses a five-point advantage over Gut-Behrami in the Super-G standings, a16-point lead over Cornelia Hütter of Austria in the downhill, and trails only Alice Robinson of New Zealand by 20 points in the Giant Slalom before the final showdown.
Meanwhile, a dejected Emma Aicher faced a frustrating outcome on the slopes. After notching up a win on the condensed course in the Aosta Valley only 24 hours ago, she faltered, missing a turn and a gate. "That was stupid of me," Aicher lamented. Teammate Kira Weidle-Winkelmann narrowly missed the top 25, lingering two seconds behind.
Alpine SkiingWinter Sports
Brignone's victory in alpine skiing, specifically the Super-G race held in La Thuile, secured her advantage in the overall World Cup title, setting a historic record as the oldest World Cup winner ever. In a chatty contrast, Aicher, the reigning champion, faltered with a silly mistake during the same race, crashing out and resulting in a disappointing turn of events. Despite her win the previous day, Aicher admitted her error, stating, "That was stupid of me."
