Katharina Liensberger (AUT/Rossignol), who skied brilliantly in the first run to lead by 0.75 seconds, had a second run to forget, making errors throughout the track to finish fourth and miss the podium by 0 .13 seconds.
The Austrian was the last of seven skiers to go for Rast’s time with an advantage in the first run, but none of them could seize the opportunity, and the Swiss rising star ended up being the last woman standing.
It was a deserved victory after a scintillating second run – the second fastest in the field – but the evening didn’t start well for Rast, as she could only manage eighth place in the first run.
Skiing on a clean slope as the first skier out of the gate, she struggled to find the rhythm of the slope in the upper section and although she made no major errors, she found herself a eternity behind Liensberger.
“A lot of frustration, I have to admit,” Rast said of his first run.
There was no such disappointment in the second run, however, as she mastered the tricky Flachau rollers where her rivals stumbled to secure a come-from-behind victory.
“Just follow my instincts,” she said of her approach to the second round.
