(Kvitfjell) Federica Brignone won a fog-disrupted World Cup super-G on Sunday, while Lara Gut-Behrami increased her lead in the discipline and in the general classification.
Gut-Behrami finished second at Kvitfjell, 0.61 seconds behind Brignone — who is third in the discipline standings and closed the gap to 74 points from the lead.
But Gut-Behrami’s closest competitor, Cornelia Huetter, could only finish seventh and slipped 69 points behind Switzerland, with just one super-G race remaining.
“I’m happy with the way I skied,” said Gut-Behrami, who also won Saturday’s super-G. In these conditions where it is mild, I am generally not the best skier. »
Brignone snatched second place in the general classification from absent Mikaela Shiffrin, 326 points behind Gut-Behrami.
This is a 25e World Cup victory for Brignone, the most successful Italian skier and second if we include men and women (Alberto Tomba won 50 races).
“Not bad at all,” said the 33-year-old athlete. I’m really very proud of it. »
The start was delayed by several minutes due to fog, then the day was stopped four times due to poor visibility.
The event was stopped a fifth time and ended prematurely, with seven skiers not having the chance to start.
“It was strange,” Brignone said. It was a tough day for all the girls. »
Brignone, part 10emay have experienced some of the toughest conditions, but she skied brilliantly in heavy fog and clocked a time almost a second faster than former leader, American Lauren Macuga.
The Italian then waited to see how her rivals would fare, but also if at least 30 skiers could take the start, so that the result could be confirmed.
Czech Ester Ledecká finished third, 0.79 behind Brignone — her first podium finish in more than two years, after missing last season following a crash in training.
Shiffrin, 385 points behind Gut-Behrami, must return next Saturday to Are in Sweden, for a giant slalom and a slalom.
The American is aiming for a sixth title in the general classification.
Shiffrin was injured in a Jan. 26 fall on a downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, straining ligaments in her knee.
Gut-Behrami won his first World Cup eight years ago.
If she were to triumph this year, the interval would be equal to that of Annemarie Moser-Pröll. The Austrian downhill specialist won her first overall title in 1971 and her sixth in 1979.