After the first run as second on course for a medal, the 26-year-old from Carinthia only managed the 14th time in the final on the course set by ÖSV division trainer Stefan Kornberger. In the end, only fourth place remained, 0.08 seconds behind the podium. Swede Sara Hector triumphed as the favorite 0.28 seconds ahead of Federica Brignone (It) and 0.72 ahead of world champion Lara Gut-Behrami (Sz). Squad took it with sarcasm: “Fourth must also be one, today it’s just me. But yes, you have to accept it, and maybe the hundredths will come back in the slalom anyway.” It’s already on the agenda for tomorrow.
“I won’t cry now”
It was much worse for the other Austrians: Stephanie Brunner and Ramona Siebenhofer were eliminated, Katharina Liensberger, Cortina’s third in the World Championships, had to settle for 15th place. She was only one place behind co-favorite Petra Vlhova. The giant slalom Olympic champion from 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin, was hit even harder: The American was eliminated in the first run after just a few goals. “I won’t cry now, it just wastes energy”, Shiffrin said. Her US team colleague Nina O’Brien fell heavily when crossing the finish line in the second run and was injured and transported away after several minutes of treatment.
The triumph went to Hector, who had also won three of the past four World Cup races in this discipline. “Even before this season I thought I had forgotten how to win”, said the 29-year-old.
Source: Nachrichten
