Alpine skiing: Italian women dominate the start

Bassino had already laid the foundation stone for his second World Cup victory after that at the Killingten Giant Slalom in late November 2019 with a clear best time in the first round. In the end, the 24-year-old stayed 0.14 seconds ahead of her teammate and defending World Cup champion Brignone. Vlhova secured third place with a fastest time and a jump of ten on the podium, 1.13 seconds behind the fastest time. Last year’s winner Alice Robinson from New Zealand finished only in twelfth place after a serious mistake in the second round (+3.65).

“We have a great team and we did a very good job during the summer. That is now the result of this work. I am very proud, this is a perfect start. It can go on like this. Now I will look from one race to another, and in the end you can see what comes out, “said the now two-time World Cup winner Bassino in an interview with ORF.

His defeated teammate Brignone was not only happy, but above all about the significantly better result than in 2019. “It’s fantastic, because last year I left Sölden. It’s a new season, I was a little nervous because it hasn’t gone like this in recent weeks. But of course I’m happy now, ”said the overall winner from the previous season.

Worst start of ÖSV

For Austria, the first race of the season, which ran under strict safety precautions and with no spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic, ended on a halt. With 15th place for Katharina Truppe, who was able to speculate on a top ten after eleventh place in race one, but was 3.83 seconds behind winner Bassino in race two, as ÖSV’s best female rider lagged far behind Expectations. The women achieved the worst result to date in Sölden.

“That was no fun at all, I just had to fight to stay inside at all, that was a lot of mistakes,” said the Carinthian slalom specialist in an interview with ORF, but at least she was able to win the race despite the poor result. of the team. Positive: “But I’m still satisfied, that was an early start to the season. I want to fight my way back in the giant slalom, and that was a good start, ”said the company, which had to share 15th place with American Nina O’Brien.

Brunner reports

Stephanie Brunner’s relapse was even greater. The Tyrolean, ninth at halftime, slowed down the decision and finished just behind Troupe in 17th place. However, Brunner could be happy for a successful comeback after three cruciate ligament tears, the third in January 2019, and a 21-month break from racing. “Maybe I just wanted too much, then I drove too straight up the steep incline and then came down in a hurry,” the 26-year-old said. “Now he just learns, he didn’t expect anything, and then he wanted too much. It went really well in training, and I just have to implement that in the race. It is a process “.

The two best Austrians at last year’s World Cup opening failed to break a tree. Ramona Siebenhofer, 10th after catching up in 2019, landed in 19th place after a second cautious run. Ötztal’s local heroine Franziska Gritsch, who finished seventh last year, had to settle for 24th place this time after a serious mistake on the steep incline. Speed ​​specialist Siebenhofer still sees the race positively: “You have to dare to go down there. In the giant slalom I just want to work my way forward, it’s a good ski school, ”said the Styrian.

For Katharina Liensberger, who took third place at Lienz at the end of December 2019, the only Austrian place on the RTL podium last season, the start of the new World Cup winter ended disappointingly. Vorarlberg’s wife, who was just 23rd after the first lap, took a decision hit as she entered the steep incline, which is selective like every year, and slipped out the next door.

Hapless shield on return

A second comeback from an Austrian perspective was not crowned with success in the first round. Bernadette Schild, who had also suffered a torn cruciate ligament in her knee at the Rettenbachferner last year, missed the jump to the second round. Elisa Mörzinger, Eva-Maria Brem and Nadine Fest, as well as Ricarda Haaser and Katharina Huber after a crash or failure, were also the only spectators in the decision.

Prominent names Mikaela Shiffrin, Anna Veith and Viktoria Rebensburg could not be found in the ranking. American star Shiffrin had not started the World Cup due to back problems. Veith, a 2014 winner on the glacier and the Deutsche Rebensburg, who won the first race of the season at Sölden in 2010 and 2017, had gone from active to ski retired this summer.