KRANJSKA GORA – The Franco-Ontarian skier won her first gold medal of the season, in the giant slalom of Kranjska Gora in Slovenia. She couldn’t have asked for a better start to the year!
We left Valérie Grenier in 6th place during the second giant slalom of the World Cup stage which took place on her home soil, in Mont-Tremblant. Since then, she had achieved a fourth place in Lienz on December 28 to conclude her 2023 year, but still did not have a podium this season.
The situation has been rectified and in a very good way. On the Slovenian track, where she had already won first place last year, the Ottawa native did it again. Despite difficult conditions with mist and soft snow, she set the fourth fastest time during her first pass.
Second decisive round
It was therefore during the second round that the skier from St. Isidore achieved the fastest descent of the day in 53 seconds 61 and took first place, before the last three competitors passed. Ultimately, neither Petra Vlhova (4th), nor Federica Brignone (3rd), nor Lara Gut-Behrami (2nd) managed to do better than a cumulative time of 1 minute 50 seconds 51. Valérie Grenier was able to savor the second medal gold of his career in the World Cup.
The final ranking of the Kranjska Gora giant slalom. Source: fis-ski.com
“I am extremely happy and proud and words fail me,” she exclaimed after her victory. I’ve been close to the podium so many times this season that it’s great to be there today. After my victory here last season, I felt a little more pressure this morning. I made a big mistake in the first moto, and I was really determined to go for it in the second moto. It’s very gratifying to achieve victory. »
“You always hope to get on the podium and there is no better feeling than when you win. It’s very similar to last year, being on the podium, hearing The Canada and see my teammates celebrating with me,” she added.
This first place, which constitutes her first podium of the season, allows Valérie Grenier to make a jump in the FIS general ranking in the discipline. She actually moved from seventh to fourth place. A general still dominated by the Italian Federica Brignone.
The top 10 in the general ranking of the 2023-24 Giant Slalom World Cup. Source: fis-ski.com
2024-01-07 01:10:50
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