In her first World Cup downhill she went straight to the podium: Malorie Blanc.Bild: keystone
For a long time it looked like a disappointing race from a Swiss perspective: no Swiss woman was in the top 10 in the downhill from St. Anton – until 21-year-old Malorie Blanc came with start number 46. The junior world champion had to cope with a major setback less than a year ago.
Once Lara Gut-Behrami has resigned, Swiss skiers will face dark times – at least many Swiss ski fans fear. Especially in the speed races. That could have been the conclusion after the departure from St. Anton. In twelfth place, 33-year-old Gut-Behrami was on course to be Swiss-Ski’s best athlete again for a long time. Then came Malorie Blanc.
“I don’t know why it worked.”
Malorie White
At the start, she resolved to think as little as possible. “Simply ski with ease and fun.” She succeeded in this outstandingly. On the difficult descent in St. Anton, with which even experienced stars like Lara Gut-Behrami and the eliminated Sofia Goggia had problems, she showed a flawless ride. In the meantime, the 21-year-old from Valais with starting number 46 was in the lead, leaving the leader Federica Brignone shaking. In the end, Blanc was only seven hundredths of a second behind the Italian, who celebrated her debut victory in the downhill.
Malorie Blanc makes a sensational appearance on the podium.Video: SRF
“I don’t know why it worked, but it’s incredible and I’m just enjoying it to the full,” Blanc marveled at herself after the race. But she couldn’t really understand what had just happened when she got on the microphone of the SRF. As well as? After all, Blanc was at the start of a World Cup downhill for the first time. Of course, she had already impressed in training with fourth place, but the race is a completely different matter. It was only her second appearance in the World Cup – Blanc was eliminated in the Super-G in St. Moritz.
Torn cruciate ligament after great success
What makes Malorie Blanc’s story even crazier is that she tore her cruciate ligament almost a year ago. Of all places, in Crans-Montana, near the home of her ski club in Anzère, Blanc fell and sustained the serious injury – as a result of which her World Cup debut, which was planned a few days later, was postponed. It was a bitter end to what was actually a very successful winter for Swiss ski talent.
-“Now I’m here.”
Malorie White
After all, she celebrated great successes at the Junior World Championships at the end of January 2024. Blanc triumphed in the Super-G and in the team combination together with Anuk Brändli, but in the downhill she missed victory by a hundredth of a second and won World Championship silver. Thanks to her success, she would actually have been entitled to compete in the Super-G at the World Cup final in Saalbach. Because of her injury, nothing came of it.
Malorie Blanc with her three medals from the Junior World Championships.Bild: keystone
Instead, the long and hard road back began. How she found her way back to her top form so quickly is difficult to explain, she said after her great success in the Tyrolean Alps. “I did everything well, I think,” Blanc speculated, adding: “And I had good people around me. I’m so grateful to them because this is really important to me. Now I’m here.”
On Sunday in the parade discipline
Malorie Blanc can prove that she has now arrived in the World Cup tomorrow, Sunday. Then it’s time for the Super-G in St. Anton – it’s the 21-year-old Valaisian’s favorite discipline. Ultimately, she not only won Junior World Championship gold in the more technical speed discipline, but also three European Cup podium places last season.
Looking ahead to her third race in the World Cup, Blanc said with a broad laugh and sparkling eyes: “Of course I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”