The conditions changed for the second run as visibility got worse when snow started to come down. Third after the 1st run, Switzerland's Lara Gut didn't mind it and blazed through the course in a combined time of 2:02.51 to claim the win, after a breathtaking end of the race that saw leader of the 1st run Mikaela Shiffrin crash three gates before the finish line.
Lara Gut won her first World Cup giant slalom race in Sölden in 2013 and went though a difficult time last season when she never finished better than 9th in the discipline.
“I have to say that when I crossed the finish line in the lead, I was happy to know that I was going to finish on the podium, I mean a second race with the new skis and already on the podium is simply awesome,” said Gut. “I saw that Mikaela was skiing so good but she make a mistake that I used to make two years ago. It's cool to win again.”
“Two years ago I was skiing well, I was on the podium in every GS race I finished except Lenzerheide. Last year I don't know why, but I had no idea about how to ski GS any more. After Sölden last month, I just had to get used to the idea that I was able to ski GS again and of course I am happy to be in front again here in Aspen on an awesome course.”
Gut edged Austria's Eva-Maria Brem, who put in a strong run to make up some of the time she lost in the first one. Brem, who is now the leader of the Austrian team after Anna Fenninger was ruled out for the entire season to injury, won her first World Cup race last season in Aspen, but has been struggling to find the momentum she built last season.
"Things were easy last year, I had a really good season," Brem said. "It's been different this year. I had a good feelings throughout the whole the summer preparation but before Sölden I got a bit sick and it hasn't been easy to find that shape back since. Even in the first 10 gates in the second run today I didn't have a good feeling, but then I told myself this is not me skiing and then I just let my skis go and I think that in the second half of the course I could ski the way I did last year. I am happy and hope it's not a fight to keep that level and that it's here now."
Winner of the GS opener in Sölden, Italy's Federica Brignone was second after the first run, just 0.11 seconds behind Shiffrin, but made some small mistakes on her way down in the second run. However, she still managed to round out the podium, 0.34 seconds off the pace.
Local hero Mikaela Shiffrin had a substantial lead at the last split of the second run, but made a mistake a few gates before the finish and fell on her side, loosing a chance to win her first World Cup race in the United States.
“That run felt scrappy,” commented Shiffrin. “It didn't feel great, but I was fighting really hard and I am proud of that because in general when I don't feel that good in a run, I just kind of take my foot off the gas and loose a lot of time. I felt like I was charging and then two gates before the finish I started thinking oh my god I can't believe I made it this far. But you should never ever think that, because it's like immediately something bad would happen.”
She will have another chance to perform well in front of a home crowd as two slalom are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in the famous ski resort of Colorado.
“I am really excited to start the slalom season," Shiffrin concluded. "I am feeling like I'm training well. I'll take the same tactics as today, as I think I was going for it but I just have to make sure to stay smart to the finish.”
Source: fis-ski.com
