Kiwi Alpine Ski Racing sensation Alice Robinson (Queenstown, 22) has started her 2024/25 season with a bang, finishing in second place at the FIS Giant Slalom World Cup season opener held in Austria overnight NZT.
A thrilled Robinson explained; “I am really happy, I haven’t been on the podium in Sölden since I won here five years ago, it is one of my favourite places to race.”
Robinson started in bib two and put down an electrifying first run, dominating the steep section and subsequent transition onto the flatter section of the piste, which was causing a number of the top athletes in the field to lose precious milliseconds.
After run one Robinson was sitting in second position, just +0.22 seconds behind run one leader American powerhouse Mikaela Shiffrin.
After run one Robinson explained, “I felt really solid on the top section, I felt confident and not too nervous in the start and I understood what I needed to do. I think I attacked really well and skied the pitch a lot better than I had when we trained here so I was really happy with that.”
With the start order reversed for run two, Robinson was the second to last athlete to race down the course that was starting to see a deterioration in surface condition due to the 28 athletes who had gone down before her.
Robinson put down a blistering run, using her strength and power to maintain a strong, quick line throughout the bumpy course. Robinson finished in second place, just +0.17 of a second behind winner Federica Brignone of Italy.
After run two Robinson said; “The second run was really challenging, especially on the top section, the steeps were bumpy and I have always found it quite challenging when the snow is soft, has a lot of moisture and is bumpy but I have been working hard on this so I am happy!”
Brignone claimed the 28th World Cup victory of her career with Julia Scheib of Austria claiming her career first World Cup podium in front of an ecstatic home crowd.
This is a particularly special result for Robinson as this is the location of her maiden World Cup win in 2019, when she became the youngest female athlete to ever win the Sölden Giant Slalom World Cup. “I haven’t been on the podium here since I won five years ago, it has always been one of my favourite races so it’s nice to come back this year and have some form.” - Robinson
The women’s FIS Giant Slalom World Cup circuit continues on the 1st of December NZT with the Killington World Cup set to be held in the USA.
56 days ago
Alice Robinson