New Zealand’s Alice Robinson claimed her first World Cup win in almost four years with her triumph in the giant slalom at Kronplatz, Italy on Tuesday, after leader Federica Brignone crashed out on her second run.
Robinson, who last tasted success in March 2021, won her fourth World Cup race with a combined time of one minute 55.28 seconds, and moved to the top of the giant slalom standings, ahead of Sara Hector and Brignone who both failed to finish.
Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami took second place, 0.56 seconds behind Robinson with America’s Paula Moltzan completing the podium.
Robinson was fifth after the first run, with in-form Brignone, top of the overall competition standings and fresh from her super-G win at Cortina on Sunday, leading the field ahead of Gut-Behrami and Hector.
After a flawless second run put her in the lead, Robinson watched on as first, Hector crashed out and then Gut-Behrami lost time in the top section.
Only Brignone stood in the way of Robinson’s victory, and the New Zealander looked visibly shocked as the Italian went off course in the second sector, and Robinson, after three podium finishes this season, could finally celebrate a win.
“I’m really quite speechless,” an emotional Robinson said.
“I mean, four years since I last won and there were definitely some times in those four years where I wasn’t sure if I was going to win again so to be back and winning here, it’s just so special.”
Gut-Behrami moved from fourth to second in the overall competition, and cut the gap to Brignone to 55 points. Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany will host the downhill and super-G events at the weekend.
