“Halfway I was dying”



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Lara Gut-Behrami is world champion of giant slalom

Lara Gut-Behrami wins World Cup gold in giant slalom. The Ticino woman beats the American Mikaela Shiffrin by two hundredths of a second. Katharina Liensberger from Austria came in third place.

18.02.2021

Lara Gut-Behrami is the first Swiss woman to win a World Cup gold medal in giant slalom since Sonja Nef in 2001. The 29-year-old is delighted after her “unexpected” triumph on the demanding Cortina track.

What a performance by Lara Gut-Behrami. The girl from Ticino rushes across the finish line two hundredths of a second before Mikalea Shiffrin in the World Cup giant slalom in Cortina d’Ampezzo and lets Switzerland cheer him on Thursday too.

«It was always a dream for me to win a medal in the giant. The second race was so long and demanding. I’m very happy, ”said the winner after the race at SRF. Gut-Behrami admits that he didn’t really believe in victory. “It is definitely unexpected. I have never felt so tired in my life as I did in the beginning. ”

Once at the bottom, the Swiss woman is at the limit of her bonds. “Halfway (the track) I was dying,” he shouts in English to the incredulous competition in the finish area. “I couldn’t anymore.”

A poster of Sonja Nef

The last time Swiss women won a gold medal in the giant slalom was 20 years ago. Back then it was Sonja Nef who triumphed, an idol of the newly crowned world champion. “That was the first World Cup I remember. I had a poster of Sonja Nef’s gold medal in my room, ”reveals Gut-Behrami. Sonja certainly helped me. I have her and her husband to thank (Hans Flatscher, former Swiss women’s head coach, editor’s note). You helped me on my way, even if I didn’t always do the same as everyone else. “



The 29-year-old now crowns herself a giant queen on the demanding Cortina slope. According to SRF expert Tina Weirather, thanks to the new (shoe) material. “She was often not so open to new things … but now she has invested a lot of time,” says the Liechtenstein woman.

Gut-Behrami sees the origin of his latest masterpiece elsewhere. «I have worked, worked, worked. (The giant slalom) is always the last race of the World Championship and I could never get it right. It has been the case on a few occasions when success was only obtained through work. I have a long time. But four years ago I would have signed to be here again. “

Sonja Nef: “What Lara delivered today is phenomenal”

20 years of waiting is enough: Lara Gut-Behrami wins the World Cup Giant Slalom at Cortina d’Ampezzo and is the Swiss successor to Sonja Nef, who triumphed at St. Anton in 2001.

18.02.2021



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