Flury was four hundredths of a second ahead of Austrian Nina Ortlieb and twelve hundredths of another Swiss, the reigning Olympic champion and 2021 world champion Corinne Suter.

The new world champion had never won an international medal and had only been on two World Cup podiums (a super-G victory in 2017, a second place in downhill in 2022) in her nine-year career.

"I still don't know what to say, it looks like a dream, she was moved at a press conference after the race. I'm so happy to share this moment with Corinne (Suter) on the podium. I didn't expect not to win today."

Swiss Jasmine Flury won the women's downhill of the Alpine Skiing World Championships in Meribel on February 11, 2023 © Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

As since the beginning of the week and the World Championships, the sun continued to flood the resort of Méribel, offering perfect conditions for the downhillers.

Starting with bib number 2, Jasmine Flury built her victory on the top of the course, a sliding section, fatal to all the favorites.

The skier from Graubünden, a great talent in her youth, had seen her early career hampered by injuries, particularly to the hip.

The Swiss reaction

It brings Switzerland a first title at these Worlds and creates a new sensation after the victories of the Canadian James Crawford and the Italian Marta Bassino on the super-G.

Swiss Jasmine Flury smiles at the finish of the women's downhill at the Alpine Skiing World Championships in Méribel on February 11, 2023 © Jeff PACHOUD / AFP

The Swiss flags flew high in the stands and around the track, to celebrate this awakening of the Swiss team.

Some 70 kilometers from the Swiss border, some supporters even rang their "cow bells" (alp bells), saluting the second and third Swiss medals after that, in silver, of Wendy Holdener in the combined on Monday, which catch up with the disappointing fourth place of world No. 1 Marco Odermatt in the super-G on Thursday.

Queens of the Roc de Fer in the first two races, the Italians failed this time, where one of their representatives was however eagerly awaited: Sofia Goggia.

The Italian Olympic vice-champion skied upside down, unable to create the usual gaps on a course with no major traps.

Far from the lead when she arrived, she was later disqualified for stepping over a gate.

"SuperSofia" may have been disturbed by the death in the week of her ex-teammate Elena Fanchini, who died of cancer at the age of 37.

The Méribel stadium also observed a moving minute of silence in his memory after the race, while the Italian skiers held each other by the shoulders in the finish area.

Italian Sofia Goggia in the arrival area of ​​the downhill of the World Ski Championships after having straddled a gate on February 11, 2023 in Méribel © Jeff PACHOUD / AFP

Fifth medal for Suter

Another unexpected skier: Nina Ortlieb, silver medalist.

His name echoes that of his father, Patrick Ortlieb, crowned Olympic champion in 1992 in Val d'Isère during the Albertville Games, also in downhill.

The 26-year-old Austrian has only three podiums on the world circuit.

Corinne Suter is the only favorite to have held her rank.

After struggling to return from a concussion suffered in January, Suter won his fifth world medal on Saturday, the third in a row in downhill (2nd in Are in 2019, winner in Cortina in 2021).

"It's one of my best medals after the last few days, she rejoiced. I didn't know if I would be able to ski quickly. I was very lucky that my body was fine. I I don't remember the whole fall. I didn't know if I could handle this situation."

The French women did not find the key to the Roc de Fer track: Laura Gauché took 12th place, Romane Miradoli 15th and the young Anouck Errard (23) 21st.

"It's not easy, we're in France, we wanted to show our most beautiful face. No matter how much I said to myself + you're not tense +, (...) I was. I wanted so much to finish these Worlds on a good note", commented Gauché in the mixed zone after the race.

© 2023 AFP