Kranjska Gora (Slovenia) (AFP)

Marta Bassino, queen of the giant: the Italian won on Saturday in Kranjska Gora her third success of the season in the specialty, ahead of Tessa Worley, seizing at the same time first place in the race for the small globe.

After Sölden in October and Courchevel in December, the 24-year-old skier signed a new recital in Slovenia.

Leading from the end of the first round with a 27 / 100th lead, Bassino finished with 80 / 100th ahead of Worley and 1 second 46 over the Swiss Michelle Gisin.

Worley thus signed his best result of the season in the World Cup.

On the only giant that she did not win this winter, in Courchevel in December, Bassino was out.

On Saturday, the Italian stayed on her skis and crushed the competition on an icy track.

Five points behind Federica Brignone in the standings of the Giant's World Cup before the start, she took the lead with authority: Bassino now has 50 points ahead of his compatriot, 5th Saturday, and 108 over Gisin.

Thanks to her third place, the Swiss can also boast of being on the podiums of all disciplines of alpine skiing (downhill, super-G, giant, slalom, combined, not to mention the parallel, recent discipline and less. disputed).

- First points for Escané -

Gisin will need her versatility to try to catch up with Slovak leader in the general classification Petra Vlhova, 4th on Saturday.

Despite the sixty points gleaned from Kranjska Gora, Gisin is still 114 units behind the very consistent Slovak.

Behind them, Shiffrin remains third, more than 200 points behind Vlhova.

But her place on the virtual podium is threatened by Bassino, who climbed to 4th position on Saturday with two small units behind the American.

As for the French, the day was good for Tessa Worley, closer and closer to her first World Cup victory since 2018. Already 3rd in Courchevel, the double world champion delivered a solid first round then a recital on the 2nd track (best time) to get back to 4th place in the specialty standings, one point behind Gisin and one ahead of Shiffrin.

Another satisfaction among the French, Doriane Escané (22) scored her first World Cup points thanks to her 20th place in Slovenia.

A second giant is scheduled for Sunday in Kranjska Gora, where the events initially scheduled for Maribor have been moved due to a lack of snow in the low-lying Slovenian town.

© 2021 AFP