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Alpine skiing, the result of the Cortina free run: Goggia first ahead of Lie and Brignone, who is the world cup leader

(Flavio Vanetti)  Sofia Goggia first, Federica Brignone third, with the Norwegian Vickhoff-Lie in between the two, handmaiden to the blue queens of speed who not rarely find themselves together up there in the lands of excellence of the Ski World Cup. Cortina’s descent puts them next to each other at the leader’s corner and Super-Sofi sums up the moment: «We know we are competitive, this is a good rivalry that pushes us. We both have the hunger to be better: here, in one thing we are the same”.

​Sofia Goggia has resumed the march interrupted by the two “zeros” of St. Anton and is success number 26 of his career, celebrated with a selfie with Alberto Tomba (and with a kiss from Albertone to his racing glove), kneeling before the audience of “his” Cortina: «Winning in Cortina is something special for us Italians, but for me it represents more than being first in a race» says Sofia. Clear reference to most, but to be explained to non-goggists: on the Olimpia delle Tofane, tamed for the fourth time free as Isolde Kostner (who has a fifth success in super-G), the champion from Bergamo rejoiced but also suffered hard moments, with falls and the injury that risked preventing her from attending the 2022 Beijing Games. Today, however, all is well, not to mention that for Sofia it is the return to victory in the downhill after the accident in February 2024. In fact, in the World Cup trials in the USA she won in the super-G but was “only” second in the free.

​Federica Brignone, however, has finally dispelled the taboo of Cortina: never on the podium, she had always been rejected (“At most I had a few good heats” she explains, referring to the giant slalom). The first top three allows her to play bingo: he returns to the top of the general classification (539 points, against the 533 of the Swiss Rast, which does not compete in the fast trials) and maintains the summit of that descent ahead of Sofia (189 vs 180). Question: did you expect to be ahead of your teammate in the specialty that is your hunting ground? «No, I never imagined finding myself in command».

The there had already been signs of the glorious day in the rehearsalsdominated by Sofia and Federica. But transferring this supremacy to the race was not easy because Vickhoff-Lie, who went down with the number 2, made no mistakes and it was fast everywhere except the final segment. But it soon became clear that his 1’34”37 was a «time». Those who had reasonable hopes of doing so did not beat him, such as Ledecka, Huetter (winner of the Downhill Cup in 2024) and even Brignone herself, who had the starting number 8. Thirteen hundredths of a difference for Federica: no serious error, but she was unable to make the difference – in her words – “in the area where I achieved the best time in the tests”.

​Puchner and didn’t make it either Gut-Behrami (who also took a risk landing on his tail after a jump)but she succeeded Super-Sofi: at the Delta curve he signed his masterpieceerasing a disadvantage of 19/100 on the Lie with a partial advantage of 55 cents. She was then cautious in the Rumerlo jump (advantage dropped to 20/100), but with a speed of 117 per hour she secured the finish: 1’33”95, a record crumbled.

After her, no one could worry her, not even the young Swiss Blanc (one on the launch pad), or Macuga with her surprising success in super-G in St. Anton, or even Lindsey Vonn. After the tumble in the first test, the forty-year-old champion returned in December, almost six years after retiring, she never appeared in a condition to be dangerous. Perhaps the mental aspect had priority this time for her: it was necessary not to make mistakes and, above all, it was essential to reach the finish line. Mission accomplished, but with a twentieth place which represents for Lindsey a step back compared to the good results of St. Anton and in particular the fourth place in super-G.

​Sofia Goggia thus gave himself over to the roar of the fans from Cortina and a comment: «Before leaving I had my heart in my mouth and I was excited. My test wasn’t perfect, here and there I made some slight mistakes. But I managed to stay in direct contact with the race.”

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