(Lake Louise) Sofia Goggia picked up where she left off in Lake Louise, Alberta.
The Italian skier won the first downhill of the World Cup season, signing a fourth consecutive victory at Banff National Park. She swept all three races last year.
“I’m very happy with the outcome and the result, but I’m still not happy with my performance because I think it wasn’t precise enough today,” Goggia told The Canadian Press.
Despite her assessment, she posted a winning time of 1:47.81.
Only six hundredths of a second separated first and third place, while Swiss Corinne Suter, reigning Olympic downhill champion, took second place, four hundredths behind the winner.
Austria’s Cornelia Hütter (1:47.87) finished third in her 18e podium in the World Cup.
“I was energized and anxious when they made their descent because you never know. It’s a matter of hundredths on this track, which is three kilometers long, Goggia said. Winning by four hundredths of a second is uncountable. »
Quebecer Marie-Michèle Gagnon (1:50.20) was the top Canadian with a 24e square.
“We did a lot of giant slalom in training to improve my technique and to hopefully get to the next level. We did less downhill training, explained Gagnon. My feeling isn’t quite right right now and you can probably tell by seeing me come down. It’s a matter of finding a good balance to attack, but attacking the right way. »
Stefanie Fleckenstein (1:53.10) of British Columbia finished 39e. She skied under the independent banner on Friday and is trying to get back to the national team.
“I’ve been on the independent banner for two years now,” she said. It’s difficult as a speed skier because the national teams have priority with a lot of training. The goal is to use my place in the Nor-Am Cup to try to requalify, but it will be a battle. »
Another downhill is scheduled for Saturday, followed by the super-G on Sunday.
Goggia became only the third woman to record a hat trick at Lake Louise last season, after American Lindsey Vonn (2011, 2012 and 2015) and Germany’s Katja Seizinger (1997).
After winning four of the top five women’s downhill in 2021-22, Goggia crashed at the super-G in Cortina, Italy, just two weeks before the Olympics.
Despite knee and leg injuries, the 30-year-old Italian won silver in the downhill in Beijing behind Suter, who finished behind Goggia in second place overall in the downhill last season.
“We have to push ourselves to the limit and I’m excited for tomorrow’s downhill,” Suter said. I made two or three small mistakes today, but I think when you go fast it happens and it’s normal.
Goggia is looking for a third straight downhill Crystal Globe. She would become the first to achieve the feat since Vonn’s six consecutive wins from 2007-08 to 2012-13.