Federica Brignone triumphs in the giant slalom, finishing ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova

Federica Brignone won a skiing race called the World Cup giant slalom in Canada on Saturday.

Federica Brignone triumphs in the giant slalom, finishing ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova

Federica Brignone, Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova [Image Credit- ESPN]

Italy’s own Federica Brignone seized the World Cup gold in the Canadian realm as Mont Tremblant welcomed athletes for its inaugural event in four decades.

Brignone excelled in the mountains and set a new record that had stood for 24 years. She is now the oldest person to win in the World Cup giant slalom category, beating Austria’s Anita Wachter.

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Currently, Mikaela Shiffrin is at the front of the pack in overall standings, amassing 410 points and holding a 64-point advantage over Petra Vlhova. Brignone’s triumph in Tremblant marks her maiden victory in the giant slalom for the current season. The 33-year-old athlete, who only secured one win last season, had a strong performance in the initial race at Mont Tremblant.

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This was the first time in 40 years that Mont Tremblant hosted a World Cup ski event. Timing in at a cumulative 2 minutes and 14.95 seconds, Brignone preserved her lead with an opening run time of 1 minute and 8.44 seconds, clinching the gold. This achievement elevates her to 22 World Cup victories, positioning her alongside her fellow countrywoman Sofia Goggia in record wins for an Italian female skier.

Meanwhile, Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova secured the silver, nudging Mikaela Shiffrin to bronze, marking the latter’s 140th career podium finish. Sweden’s Olympic medalist Sara Hector, previously in the silver position following the first run, dipped to fourth place as Vlhova and Shiffrin leaped forward in the subsequent race.

The day proved monumental for Brignone, who bounced back from the initial setback of placing second to Lara Gut-Behrami in this season’s opening event in Sölden, Austria.

Federica Brignone was unwell before the second race

Brignone humorously noted her status as the most senior victor post-race, a detail highlighted in the report from a magazine. “I’m the oldest one, am I right?” Brignone made a lighthearted inquiry after the race.

The race was amazing, and it made her happy. Leading after the first run, Solden caught Brignone off guard, and she ended up feeling too anxious to think straight.

Federica Brignone
Federica Brignone [Image Credit- X]

Before the second race, she was too unwell to even do a proper warm-up and her legs were not functioning properly. She recounted, with a tinge of jest, her previous race’s debilitating anxiety during which she wrestled with nausea and an inability to warm up.

A stark contrast to the composed skier who confidently commanded her race in Mont Tremblant. Despite her latest accolade, it is Shiffrin who leads the World Cup overall standings.

Shiffrin triumphed in Killington in her previous competition, where Brignone was runner-up. Shiffrin won her 90th race in Killington and is now close to breaking the record for most World Cup wins.

She has broken the records of Ingemar Stenmark and Lindsey Vonn by achieving more than 86 wins. Last season, Shiffrin captured the overall giant slalom globe and has since extended her giant slalom wins to 21, striking a new record.

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