Comeback queen Stuhec reigns in Soldeu while Goggia lifts another Globe

Just 12 months after being on the verge of quitting, Ilka Stuhec confirmed her place back at the very top of women’s Alpine downhill skiing by grabbing the World Cup Finals title in Soldeu, ahead of the season's Crystal Globe winner Sofia Goggia.

In fact, the Slovenian, who endured three incredibly challenging years heading into this season, may well be wishing she and the rest of the speed specialists were not about to head off on holiday.

After finishing inside the top-10 in just six Audi FIS World Cup races in the three previous seasons combined, Stuhec closed out this season with two wins, two second places and a fourth in her final six races.

It is the sort of form that not only secured the 2017 and 2019 downhill world championship gold medallist second place in the overall standings, but also signalled a likely challenge to Goggia’s long-established dominance.

“It means really a lot actually because this time last year I was thinking, should I continue? Should I quit? What should I do with my life? Then I listened to my guts and I was like OK, I will change things and I will go on because I still had a feeling I could do it and now everyone knows (I can),” said Stuhec whose powerful and sustained attacking style gave her a 0.51 second advantage over Goggia, with the ever-impressive Lara Gut-Behrami taking third.

“It makes it fun again, I am really enjoying it and I will definitely go on,” Stuhec added.

Always a brilliant glider, the 32-year-old was able to hold her pace through both the salted, icy top section in Soldeu, as well as the more tricky, softer, spring-like snow down the bottom.

Not that Goggia was too bothered to be bettered – it has not happened much this season.

“I am happy, four downhill Globes is not few and today I am ending up with a good race,” said the Italian who has now lifted the downhill Crystal Globe three times in succession.

“This season we have run nine downhills and when you finish saying I won five and I crashed in one and my worst result was a second place, I mean ‘kiss my hand’.”

It has been a truly brilliant effort from one of the very greatest downhillers of all time, who ends with those five wins and three second places.

Gut-Behrami, who has been at the top of women’s skiing for getting on a decade, was delighted to end her downhill campaign with a first podium.

“I am happy. It has been a weird season, I was skiing well but never fast enough as I wanted, maybe not smooth enough,” said the 31-year-old, who has won both super-G and giant slalom World Cup races this season, form that currently has her second in the overall standings, second in the super-G standings and third in GS.

While she cannot overhaul Mikaela Shiffrin to grab either the overall or the GS titles, the super-G Crystal Globe is very much within her grasp.

“The last races I have been trying to stick too much on the lines and maybe be too perfect. Today I just tried to let the ski run and it worked well. So I think for tomorrow exactly the same thing,” said the Swiss star who lies 19 points behind super-G standings leader, Elena Curtoni.

“I have to stop thinking and trust my instinct,“ added Gut-Behrami.

For Curtoni, Thursday’s final super-G now takes on even more importance. The Italian, who has never won a Crystal Globe, was third in the downhill standings going into today’s race but a crash near the top dropped her into fourth, just an agonising single point below Corinne Suter.

“For sure I am a bit angry. It was important for me today, I wanted to do well and I felt good,” the 32-year-old said. “Luckily I am OK. Tomorrow is a new goal and I am going to try to rest my mind and to get back the energy for tomorrow.”

The women’s super-G race starts at 10:00 local time, do not miss it with five skiers, who are separated by a mere 44 points, in the hunt for the season glory.