Crans-Montana (Switzerland) (AFP)
The Italian Sofia Goggia, reigning Olympic champion in the specialty, won the second descent of the Alpine Skiing World Cup stage in Crans-Montana on Saturday, even more clearly than the day before.
The 28-year-old Lombard clinched her fourth straight downhill victory this winter, the eleventh of her career on the world circuit, edging Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami by 27 / 100th and Italy's Elena Curtoni by 60 / 100th.
With a stopwatch of 1 min 27 sec 75 / 100th, Goggia was able to balance passion and technical accuracy on an icy and winding track, made perilous for the first twenty bibs by the low light.
The Bergamo skier flies off in the race for the specialty's globe, with 480 points, ahead of the American Breezy Johnson and the Swiss Corinne Suter, eagerly awaited in the Valais resort but disappointing on Saturday (8th) as already on Friday (14th) .
Despite a less sparkling Federica Brignone than last year, when she won the big crystal globe, the Italian team confirms its unparalleled density and places three representatives among the first four.
In the general classification of the World Cup, the Slovakian Petra Vlhova also takes off thanks to her 7th place, after finishing 4th on Friday, and confirms her clear progress in speed.
She distances the Swiss Michelle Gisin, 10th.
Considered one of the most difficult tracks on the women's circuit, the Mont-Lachaux saw Czech Ester Ledecka pay for her maximum risk taking by failing in the nets, before setting off again on her own two legs.
A super-G is still scheduled for Sunday in the Valais resort, to replace one of the two races canceled at the beginning of December at St-Moritz.
© 2021 AFP