SUN VALLEY, Idaho (AP) — Italian ski racer Federica Brignone wrapped up the season-long giant slalom title on Tuesday at the World Cup finals in a race won by Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland.
Brignone needed to finish just 13th or better in the final run to clinch the discipline crown and wound up second. She finished 0.14 seconds behind Gut-Behrami's winning combined time of 2 minutes, 10.01 seconds on a warm day at Sun Valley. Sara Hector of Sweden was third.
The 34-year-old Brignone entered the day 20 points behind Alice Robinson of New Zealand in the last World Cup giant slalom race of the season. Robinson struggled with a gate in her first run, veered off course and didn't finish, paving the way for Brignone.
“This is why I like the sport so much, to be here and still playing the game at the end,” Brignone said. “It’s the thing that makes me feel more alive. It’s stressful on one hand, but at the end it’s so nice.”
Brignone won the GS crystal globe with 580 points, while Robinson had 520 and Hector 447. This was only the second time in Robinson's nine World Cup GS races this season that she wasn't on the podium.
“I was pretty upset for all of this morning but now more relaxed — just really proud of the season,” the 23-year-old Robinson said. “Just a bit disappointed I didn’t get to fight for the globe. I was really looking forward to that second-run showdown.”
It's been a stellar season for Brignone, who already wrapped up the overall title, along with the downhill crown. She also captured a gold medal in the GS at the world championships last month, along with a silver at worlds in the super-G. She is expected to be a strong force heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics in her home country.
“Who could imagine to win so much?” Brignone said.
Gut-Behrami, the super-G winner Sunday, continued to shine on the Sun Valley course. Even more, she found joy in her ski racing that had been absent.
“I was always looking for what I was missing and struggling a lot,” said Gut-Behrami, who earned the 100th World Cup podium of her career. “Right now, I’m happy again to ski. This is what I was missing the most. I love what I’m doing.”
In the first run, American racer Paula Moltzan had a tough run on the demanding Challenger course. She lost a ski pole early in her run and then crashed through a gate and into the protective fencing with the finish line in sight.
Mikaela Shiffrin, a 22-time giant slalom World Cup winner, didn't qualify for the finals of the GS this season. She's been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from her November crash at the GS in Killington, Vermont. Shiffrin suffered a deep puncture wound on the right side of her abdomen.
Shiffrin will race in the slalom on Thursday.
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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
Pat Graham, The Associated Press
