‘With Lara at the moment, second is good’: Gut-Behrami grabs eighth win of the season

The 32-year-old Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) may be entering the twilight of her career but according to both her rivals and the statistics the Swiss flier, who is on course for a record-equalling four Crystal Globes this season, is getting better and better with every race.

After finishing runner-up to Gut-Behrami in a thrillingly close Audi FIS World Cup women’s super-G in Kvitfjell on Saturday, Conny Huetter (AUT) could only stand and applaud.

“With Lara at the moment, second is good,” said Huetter, whose own strong performance keeps her just 25 points behind Gut-Behrami in the race to top the season-long super-G standings.

Out of the gate eighth, Gut-Behrami not only had a lightening Ester Ledecka (CZE) time to chase, she also had to do it through fog.

But neither seemed to bother the serene, red-suited, red-bibbed skier. Typically dynamic and low in the tuck, Gut-Brehrami crucially got quicker and quicker through the lower half of the Olympiabakken to finish in a time of one minute 33.52 seconds.

Both Huetter and 2022 Olympic super-G silver medallist Miriam Puchner (AUT) were significantly quicker on the top section with conditions ever changing, but neither could match the indefatigable Swiss star through the lung-burning finish. Huetter finishing 0.12 seconds behind with her teammate just one-hundredth of a second further back.

“There’s no strategy, it’s just I am trying to enjoy more what I am doing,” said Gut-Behrami after her 45th career World Cup win, which her puts her one shy of matching Renate Götschl (AUT) in the all-time list of women’s champions.

“I know I am not going to race a 1000 races more. So, I am trying to enjoy the way I am skiing, the good feeling I have and to have fun while I am skiing.”

The non-strategy strategy is certainly working. Her third super-G triumph of the season adds on to four giant slalom wins and a downhill triumph, all of which represents her best ever World Cup haul – and there are seven races left.

“It’s amazing, I am really happy about that,” she said of her remarkable efforts. “I never expected to be still racing at 32 and to be that consistent is great.”

Her work not only leaves her narrowly clear at the top of the super-G standings with two races left, but also pulls her 305 points clear of Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) at the top of the overall standings.

Shiffrin is set to return from injury for next weekend’s giant slalom and slalom races in Are, Sweden – the piste where she won her record-breaking 87th World Cup victory 12 months ago – but it will take a similarly gasp-inducing effort for Shiffrin to catch Gut-Behrami.

Also ahead in the GS standings (135-point lead) and the downhill (19 points clear), Gut-Behrami is on course to equal Lindsey Vonn (2009/10, 2011/12), Tina Maze (2012/13) and Mikaela Shiffrin (2018/19) as the only female skiers to ever claim four Crystal Globes in a season.

Huetter, who “loves” Kvitfjell, will be aiming to stop her in Sunday’s super-G before heading to the World Cup finals on home snow in Saalbach (16-24 March).

“We have a tough fight. Not only for us but also for everyone watching it’s really nice to see,” Huetter said. “And we will have a nice showdown in Saalbach, at home.”

Puchner will also head home in fine form. Stunningly quick on the top section, she nearly claimed much more than a second super-G third-place finish of the season.

Not that she minded too much.

“Yes, I lost the line in the last part. I was too far removed from the perfect line (but) I am very happy, the race felt quite good,” Puchner said.

Keira Weidle (GER) so nearly upset not just the podium but Gut-Behrami’s victory parade. Up in the first three splits, only a late mistake on the flats prevented the German, 20th out of the gate, from a truly spectacular result. But fourth, 0.29 seconds off the champion elect skier, still represents the super-G run of her career.

A huge roar carried Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR) all the way down the mountain in her first appearance since announcing that she will hang up her racing skis at the end of the season.

While the fog might have cleared, there was to be no miracle on home snow for the 31-year-old. After a strong start, the double Olympic medallist faded slightly to finish 12th.

Tune in for all the action at 11:00 CET on Sunday as Mowickel gets another chance to bow out on home snow in style. And click here to catch up with all the results from Saturday’s race.