Brilliant Goggia grabs control of Super G Globe while men's Garmisch race cancelled

Sofia Goggia (ITA/Atomic) put on a stunning show in Soldeu on Sunday to make herself a firm favourite to claim this season’s Audi FIS World Cup Super G Globe – one of the few accolades in the sport to have so far eluded the Italian superstar.

Locked in a three-way battle, the pressure was firmly on Goggia, with both Emma Aicher (GER/Head) and Alice Robinson (NZL/Salomon) having cut the Italian’s lead at the top of the Super-G standings thanks to stellar performances in Saturday’s opening Super G.

First of the trio to start on Sunday, Robinson appeared to have ratcheted up the tension by throwing down a solid run. But a slight shake of the head in the finish area indicated what was to come.

Wearing bib No.11, Goggia came roaring out the gate. Typically full of risk, the 33-year-old flew down the Aliga course, finding a clean line that sent her almost a second clear of Robinson. A double fist pump and a roar indicating just what that meant.

The celebrations got a whole lot better just two skiers later. Saturday’s winner Aicher was ahead of rival Goggia at the second time sector, with her soft touch seemingly taking her to the top once more. But a pair of errors in the demanding technical mid-section cost the German and despite a late flourish she ended 0.24 seconds behind Goggia, in second.

A resurgent Kasja Vickhoff Lie (NOR/head) produced her “best skiing of the season” to end third (+0.31 seconds) just ahead of Corinne Suter (SUI/Head) who declared her “confidence back” after following up a win and a third in Soldeu with fourth place on Sunday.

Strong performances from Laura Pirovano (ITA/Head) and Ester Ledecka (CZE/Kaestle) pushed Robinson down into seventh.

While over in Garmisch-Partenkirchen persistent fog caused the men's Super G to be cancelled. That race will now take place on Friday, 13 March in Courchevel.

Goggia ready to ski ‘for everything’

The win – the 28^th World Cup success of Goggia’s career – follows on from her Super G success in Val d’Isere in December and a further two top-three finishes this season. All of which puts her 84 points ahead of Robinson in the Globe standings, with just two races left.

There is no doubt the Italian, who picked up an Olympic Downhill bronze in Cortina d’Ampezzo last month, was at close to her best in Soldeu.

“I think I had a solid weekend, being third in Downhill (on Friday) and yesterday I was sixth (opening Super G). Today was really a similar race to yesterday but we decided to adopt a different strategy to get into the central pitch and it paid off, finally,” Goggia said, before turning her thoughts to the rest of the season.

“Of course, I still haven’t won in Downhill yet and this is maybe a bit strange for everyone because I have been doing so many podiums in Downhill in my career but I have a really solid feeling with the Super G so I am happy with it.

“Now it’s important to stay really focused for the next ones in which we will play for everything.”

Aicher fires warning

Aicher, who is still in touch of a first ever Crystal Globe, was playing it cool in the finish area – albeit with a slight warning to her storied rival.

It was in Kvitfjell just a year ago that Aicher secured her first ever World Cup podium (second in the weekend’s opening Downhill) followed a day later by her maiden World Cup win (in the second Downhill).

That should not only concern Goggia, but perhaps also Mikaela Shiffrin (USA/Atomic). The German has closed to within 219 points of the American in the race for the Overall Crystal Globe – with two Downhills and a Super G (300 points) next weekend in Val di Fassa, before Shiffrin will go in her favoured technical events in Are, 14-15 March.

As such, Aicher ends the weekend in the running for the Super G, Downhill and Overall Globes, a remarkable indication of the all-rounder’s emergence. Although she insisted she is “trying not to think about it”. More inclined to dwell on what separated her and Goggia on Sunday.

“I’m happy with the race even though I didn’t ski to the limit on the steep and made a small mistake,” Aicher said. “But it was OK for me.”

Dreamland for Lie

For Lie, a first Super G podium finish of the season was indicative once again that the Norwegian finds her best when spring arrives.

“I dreamt about it on my way here, I dreamt about it yesterday, I dreamt about it two days ago,” a happy Lie said, for whom two of her past three Super G podiums have come in March.

“It’s amazing. They did such a good preparation and we were very lucky with the weather. It’s nice that we have little bit earlier races in March because it’s so warm. I love it here. It’s amazing to wake up in the morning and you have amazing conditions and then after skiing you go back, tan a little bit and really enjoy the best of skiing.”

The next chance for elite ski racing in the sun comes on Friday 6 March, with the first Downhill in Val di Fassa. Hometown favourite Federica Brignone (ITA/Rossignol) is one star name who may be missing. After finishing eighth on Sunday the Super G Olympic champion said, “It hasn’t been a good few days for my knee, so we shall see if I can race in Val di Fasa next weekend”.

Check out the full results from the women’s Super G in Soldeu here, with the latest season standings in the race for the Super G Crystal Globe here.

Garmisch Super G rearranged for Courchevel

It was not so sunny over in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where a day after Marco Odermatt (SUI/Stöckli) triumphed in the Downhill, the men’s Super G had to be cancelled due to weather conditions.

“The main problem was the fog, the visibility, the fog was very dense,” Markus Waldner, the Men’s World Cup Race Director, said.

“We decided to move the start down to the old start which is now the reserve start. We had a little window. That was the reason that we confirmed the race inspection but right after race inspection it was again foggy from the lower start and it was impossible to think about the race today.”

In better news, Waldner confirmed that the cancelled Super G will take place on Friday 13 March in Courchevel, ahead of a Downhill on 14 March and a second Super G on 15 March. Odermatt currently heads the men’s Super G Globe standings, 158 points ahead of Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT/Head) with three races still left to run.

Do please head to Reuters Connect and Actionpress.de to view and purchase a wide selection of photographs from this race and from all FIS events.