Gut-Behrami wins downhill after Olympic champ Goggia crashes

Lara Gut-Behrami's season finally saw an upswing Saturday after two miserable months for the Swiss skier which included illness, a crash, and a coronavirus infection.

With her first event at the Beijing Olympics just over three weeks away, Gut-Behrami mastered a tricky course to win the fourth women's World Cup downhill of the season.

"This is what I needed and I'm happy that I skied the way I wanted," said the Swiss former overall champion, who has nine medals from major champions but just one from an Olympic event: downhill bronze from the 2014 Sochi Games.

"My last two months were everything but good. I am happy that I'm getting back into the rhythm. It's cool that I could ski on a high level for three days in a row," added Gut-Behrami, who had posted the third-fastest time in both trainings.

Olympic champion Sofia Goggia had an awkward crash halfway down her run in Zauchensee, Austria.

The Italian, who had won the previous three downhills, seemed unhurt and skied down the course shortly after the incident.

"I'm bruised and sore but fortunately intact," said Goggia, who was included in the official start list for Sunday's super-G.

Ideal race conditions

"I'll try to be at the start of the super-G, also seeing how I feel when I wake up."

Gut-Behrami timed one minute 45.78 seconds in perfect conditions on the three-kilometre course to beat Kira Weidle of Germany by one-tenth of a second. Ramona Siebenhofer of Austria was 0.44 behind in third.

This course is really special to me; it's where I had my first win. I won the combined in 2014 right before [the] Sochi [Olympics].— Canada's Marie-Michele Gagnon

Canada's Marie-Michèle Gagnon finished fifth, 0.68 behind Gut-Behrami.

"I'm super happy, it definitely is awesome to have a personal best no matter when," the native of Lac-Etchemin, Que., told Alpine Canada. "It's good to feel like I'm building going into the Olympics. That was always the goal, to build up to February and I'm definitely one of those skiers who likes to go one step at a time."

Gagnon has always felt comfortable on the Kälberloch course that shoots skiers out of the start gate at over 100 kilometres per hour.

"This course is really special to me; it's where I had my first win. I won the combined in 2014 right before Sochi," she recalled. "The day before the combined I had my first downhill points ever as a slalom skier.

Olympic champion Sofia Goggia had an awkward crash halfway down her run.

The Italian, who had won the previous three downhills, seemed unhurt and skied down the course shortly after the incident.

Win streak halted at 7

In a trademark gutsy run, Goggia led at the first two splits before she lost control over her left ski in the compression of a dark section of the course. Her right ski came off when she lost balance and the protective airbag under her race suit inflated before she hit the ground.

The Italian slid into the safety netting with the left ski still attached to her boot but seemed to avoid injuries. She sat on the course for a few seconds before giving a thumbs-up.

Goggia had won the last seven downhills she competed it and posted the fastest time in training on Friday.

Her DNF opened the way for Gut-Behrami, who had won the two downhills last season which the Italian missed with a knee injury.

It was Gut-Behrami's second win of the season but first since missing nearly four weeks of racing after a positive COVID-19 test.

"After [the season opener in Soelden [Austria] nothing went as planned," Gut-Behrami said. "I was sick in America, then I crashed, then I had COVID. I have been skiing like five days in November and three days in December, which is nothing."

Battling a cold, Gut-Behrami finished 17th and 23rd in two downhills in Lake Louise, Alta. She then won a Dec. 11 super-G in St. Moritz in her native Switzerland but crashed in another super-G the next day.

Shortly afterward, a positive test forced her into isolation, and she only returned to racing at a giant slalom in Slovenia last week.

The Swiss former overall champion earned her 34th career win and 12th in a downhill, putting her level with Italy's Isolde Kostner in eighth place on the all-time female winners' list of the sport's fastest discipline.

A super-G on the same slope is scheduled for Sunday before skiers travel to Cortina, d'Ampezzo, Italy for a Jan. 22-23 competition.