Skiing: Brignone recovers and wins in giant slalom in Solden – Skiing – Ansa.it

The World Cup season starts with a bang for Federica Brignone. In fact, the 34-year-old from Valle d’Aosta achieved her 28th career success which confirms her as the most successful Italian player of all time.

All in the always difficult Soelden giant slalom, a competitive year-opening race that promises to be spectacular for her and will focus on February’s World Championships in Saalbach, on a track that Italians have already been in the giant slalom. last March, winning to the finals.

In third place after the first heat, Federica won in 2’16″06 after an excellent second test, all on the attack, despite slower and more difficult snow due to the hot Foehn wind. the pace on the wall and sprint away on the last long stretch.

So much so that even the great American champion Mikaela Shiffrin, who led the opening heat, fell to second, unable to go further than fifth. Of course, it’s too early to talk about it and superstitions are necessary, but Brignone is the only Italian to win the big world cup in 2020. And last year he came second in the general classification due to his increasing flexibility. Which at least suggests that his second Crystal Cup could be an entirely achievable goal if he continues to compete like in Solden.

For Federica – who achieved her first success in Soelden in 2015 – this is the fifth podium in her career on the Rettenbach glacier. New Zealand’s Alice Robinson came in second in 2’16”22, while young Austrian Julia Scheib came a stunning third in 2’17”13. The Piedmontese Marta Bassino, fifth after the first heat, finished 13th in 2’17″91, also in difficulty on this hot surface. The third Italian in the ranking is the Venetian Asja Zenere, 20th in 2’19” 21. Tomorrow in Solden it’s the men’s giant leg. With great anticipation, the great Austrian champion Marcel Hirscher, who has won eight consecutive world cups, returns to the white circus under the Dutch flag. Italy, with Filippo Della Vite returning from injury in training with a broken finger, will instead focus tomorrow above all on veteran Luca De Aliprandini and Alex Vinatzer from Val Gardena.