‘A crazy and amazing season’: Brignone claims dramatic GS Globe as Gut-Behrami continues late season flourish
Mar 25, 2025·Alpine Skiing
An emotional Federica Brignone (ITA/Rossignol) revealed in Sun Valley on Tuesday that for the first time in her long, storied career she had crossed the finish line of an Audi FIS World Cup race without worrying about the time.
That was because whatever the clock said the 34-year-old knew she was the 2024/25 women’s Giant Slalom Crystal Globe champion.
In the end, Brignone finished second behind the rejuvenated Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI/Head) who not only claimed her second World Cup Final victory in three days, but in doing so also became just the sixth female skier to finish on 100 or more World Cup podiums.
Fellow veteran Sara Hector (SWE/Head) rounded off a superstar podium, ending 0.80 seconds back in third.
The big name missing was Alice Robinson (NZL/Salomon). Leader of the season standings at the start of the day, the 23-year-old had seen her hopes of winning New Zealand’s first ever Globe all but disappear early on as she skied out during a tough first run.
That left Brignone, second quickest in the morning despite a wild, ragged effort, knowing she only needed to finish in the top 13 to snatch the season title from the distraught New Zealander.
She did it but wow, did she make it exciting.
Fearless Brignone risks it all
“In the first run I totally messed up but it was really tricky and not easy. Then after, I said ‘OK, I am going to try to give everything as always’. When you attack is more easy,” a laughing Brignone said in the finish area.
The 34-year-old, who had mixed five wins with three DNFs in the eight previous GS races, gave her fans – including her mother watching from the stands – plenty of heart-in-the-mouth moments. In fact the second run was so on the edge that it was the quickest of all 20 racers.
“At the start I wanted to try and win the race. I knew I could recover (the gap to Gut-Behrami),” Brignone revealed.
Despite her fearless approach, the skier who has now claimed the Overall, the Downhill and the GS Globes in Sun Valley, admitted by the end even her mind had drifted away from the win.
“It’s the first time in my life I crossed the finish line already knowing I was going to say ‘yes’ even if I didn’t watch the time,” she said, smiling. “Not even watching the time I was already being happy and that’s the first time in my life.”
Ten wins – five in GS, three in Super G and two in Downhill – plus a further six podiums comprise a truly remarkable effort from a skier that continues to break barriers. Add on GS World Championship gold and a silver in Super G, and it’s no wonder the Italian can barely believe it.
“It sounds crazy,” Brignone said of her own efforts. “It’s been a crazy and amazing season for me. It’s just incredible. I never thought that I was able to ski like that this year and to stay focused and be on my skis and ski like that. It’s something magic.”
History for brilliant Gut-Behrami
While defending GS Globe champion Gut-Behrami had not been able to get near to Brignone for the majority of this season, she has come very good right at the end.
Two days after denying the Italian the Super G Globe with a stunning performance down Sun Valley’s Challenger course, Gut-Behrami was comfortably quickest in run one and despite the tricky spring conditions she held on to her advantage without too much bother.
“I’m really happy, GS I have been struggling a lot this season,” Gut-Behrami said. “I’m just happy that at the end I was able to show the skiing that I can do and it’s really nice to end the season with a win in GS, a double win here.”
It is the 48th success of her remarkable career – 24 Super G wins, 13 Downhill triumphs, 10 GS victories and one in Alpine Combined. That gives her the distinction of becoming the first female athlete to achieve Alpine skiing’s fabled ‘triple double’ – 10 World Cup wins in three disciplines. As well as helping her hit the century of podiums.
“It’s unbelievable. I am just thankful I could be healthy all these years so I could do that,” the 33-year-old said. “Thanks to my family and to my team because it’s hard to be alone and do that. I am really glad to have amazing people around me. 100 podiums, it’s unbelievable.”
Hector finishes strong
Hector cannot boast those kind of numbers but it has still been another mighty impressive season for the reigning Olympic GS champion. Two wins and two podiums from nine GS races enough to put her third in the season standings, a place she had been targeting for the past few weeks.
“Of course, it was in my head today and I really wanted to do it. It feels great I was able to do a podium today and finish strong,” the 32-year-old Swede said. “The season started a little bit tough and then it got so good and then my energy went out around World Champs.
'Tough day' for Robinson
Robinson can be forgiven for not being quite so enthusiastic about the Idaho resort. At 23-years-old the New Zealander represents a new generation of skiers poised to challenge the likes of Brignone, Gut-Behrami and Hector. But, the old guard are not ready to let them climb to the very top just yet.
After a season in which Robinson’s incredible consistency – podium finishes in all but one race – had put her 20 points ahead of Brignone going into the final day, the New Zealander needed one more great performance. But after coming out the gate a touch tentative, she struggled to find her rhythm and agonisingly lost her inside ski halfway down.
“It was just a lot of tough things today,” a tearful Robinson said. “It’s really tough right now for sure. It’s been such a big season, it would have been great to finish on a high today but I’ve never been in this position before and just going to take it and put it into learning. Hopefully this is going to make me work harder this summer to be better next year.”
While she will be back next season to go again, the women’s Slalom skiers get their chance to end on a high, with Zrinka Ljutic (CRO/Atomic) and Camille Rast (SUI/Head) going head-to-head for the final Globe on Thursday.
