(Jasná, March 7, 2021) Slovak Petra Vlhová became the winner of Sunday’s women giant slalom world cup race in Jasná. 25-years-old skier returned to the absolute top of the most technical discipline on her home hill. It is her best result in the discipline this season. Alice Robinson from New Zealand finished second and Mikaela Shiffrin from the USA was third on Sunday.
Until Sunday, Vlhová’s best result in giant slalom was third place from the opening GS of the season in October in Sölden, Austria, and from December race in Courchevel, France. “It is really difficult to talk right now. It’s something amazing that I managed to to today. All those following our sport know that I did not have a good level of skiing at the recent giant slalom race, I had a small crisis. But I was trying to do my best on the home track. It was my dream and I managed to fulfil it. I don’t even know what more there is to say,” said Petra Vlhová in her first reaction after the race.
Petra Vlhová in the sum of both runs achieved the winning time 2:16,66 min and was 16 hundredths of a second faster than Alice Robinson from New Zealand. Mikaela Shiffrin from the USA finished third with a shortfall of 37 hundredths. Shiffrin was the leader after the first run, but 11th best time in the second run robbed her of the winning double in Jasná. She won in slalom on Saturday.
The fourth place (+0.96 s) was enough for Marta Bassino to definitely win the small crystal globe in giant slalom in the current season. The 25-year-old Italian won four giant slaloms and scored a total of 510 points. Maryna Gasienica-Daniel attacked the podium ranking from the third place after the first run, but in the end she was hit by a minor sports tragedy. In the finish slope, her hands got “stuck” on one of the gates and she fell.
Current world champion in giant slalom Lara Gut-Behrami from Switzerland finished 9th and scored only 29 points in the world cup standings. A big mistake from the first run signed under her performance, when she finished 14th. Thanks to a 100-point hit, Vlhová significantly cut back to only 36 points from Gut-Behrami’s lead in the fight for the big globe. The third place belongs to another Swiss Michelle Gisin with a huge gap of 287 points.
On Sunday, for the ninth time this season, Vlhová got on the podium after the world cup races, adding a fifth victory to two second and two third places, but the first in giant slalom. Overall, she achieved her 19th triumph in the world cup, fifth in giant slalom.
The Slovak racer had the starting number 3 on Sunday and in the first run she showed a smooth and active skiing without an obvious deviation from the ideal track. The seeming easiness of the track without a resting place required the racers to concentrate and not relax in aggression, which Vlhová apparently managed to do. It was also specific that part of the track was in bright sunlight and another in the shade, and this light change caused problems for several competitors.
Another Slovak racer Petra Hromcová was also starting in the first run of giant slalom with the bib #58. Just as on Saturday’s slalom, the debutant did not finish Sunday’s GS at this highest racing level.
Final results of Sunday’s giant slalom in Jasná:
1. PETRA VLHOVÁ (SVK) 2:16,66 min
2. Alice Robinsonová (NZL) +0,16 s
3. Mikaela Shiffrinová (USA) +0,37
4. Marta Bassinová (ITA) +0,96
5. Ramona Siebenhoferová (AUT) +1,34
6. Federica Brignoneová (ITA) +1,43
7. Katharina Liensbergerová (AUT) +1,52
8. Michelle Gisinová (SUI) +1,68
9. Lara Gutová-Behramiová (SUI) +1,69
10. Tessa Worleyová (FRA) +1,75
