By Canadian Press

Gut-Behrami edges Goggia to win a World Cup super-G

Dec 11, 2021 | 8:58 AM

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) — It was Lara Gut-Behrami’s turn to edge Sofia Goggia for victory in a World Cup super-G race on Saturday, reversing the result of their duel in Canada last weekend.

Gut-Behrami raced down the typically tricky St. Moritz terrain 0.18 seconds faster than Goggia through lightly falling snow on a cold, still morning with a finish-area temperature about minus-7 Celsius (20 F).

Asked about their budding rivalry, Gut-Behrami noted it was “good for the sport, people like these stories,” though it was not an extra motivation for her.

“At the start I don’t think I’m racing against an opponent or fighting against someone. You mustn’t forget the other girls,” she told Swiss broadcaster RTS, singling out Mikaela Shiffrin, her fellow former World Cup overall champion.

Shiffrin was exactly one second further back of Goggia in third to complete a high-class podium and retain her lead in the overall World Cup standings.

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Marie-Michele Gagnon of Lac-Etchemin, Que., was the top Canadian in 13th place.

It was just Shiffrin’s second World Cup super-G in almost two years after taking a break from speed disciplines on the season-long circuit. She had placed sixth last Sunday at Lake Louise, Alberta when Goggia had beaten Gut-Behrami by 0.11.

“They’re at such a high level,” Shiffrin said of the 1-2 finishers, who on a cloudy day mastered a racing surface “like a rollercoaster. In between every single turn there’s also little ripples and rollers and you can’t see those at all.

“I have the potential to be competitive. I don’t really trust myself enough to be the most aggressive on this hill,” the American star said.

Gut-Behrami’s very aggressive racing on one of her home Swiss hills earned a 33rd career World Cup win at the same place as her first. Her debut victory in December 2008 was a super-G on the Corviglia course as a precociously talented 17-year-old.

She noted feeling drained by the effects of a cold in Canada, adding it was nice to come back to Europe: “Today I felt very good.”

The 30-year-old Swiss racer has now won or been second in all eight super-Gs so far in 2021, including taking gold at the world championships in February. Shiffrin was also third that day.

Shiffrin, who has wins in slalom and giant slalom this season, earned 60 World Cup points for her third place and leads by 70 from Goggia, who rose to second above Petra Vlhova.

Vlhova, the defending overall champion, is skipping the weekend meeting at St. Moritz which includes another super-G on Sunday.

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Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press