Giant stars cross speed blades for the first time: old duel! Tiger Brignone warms Gut-Behrami

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It’s been a long time, a very long time. To be precise: 16 years old. On December 28, 2007, Lara Gut-Behrami (32) and Federica Brignone (33, It) made their World Cup debut together in Lienz (Austria). And today? They are now well over 30 and the only ones of the 66 starters at the time who have not yet ended their career. It is not without reason that they are far from being considered old news. On the contrary: Gut-Behrami and Brignone have each already achieved two giant slalom victories in the young season, and the Italian is only five points behind the Ticino in the World Cup discipline.

Now the two are experiencing their first showdown in the Super-G in St. Moritz – there they are also world class. Gut-Behrami knows the qualities of her rival. ‘I admire Fede. Because I know from my own experience what it is like to tire yourself out in the summer and practice top sports after so many years.”

Fed. That’s what everyone calls Brignone – including her mother Maria Rosa Quario (62). The former world-class slalom skier guides her daughter every step of the way during the World Cup. Her son is always there: Brignone’s brother Davide is also her coach. Quario: “Fede and Lara will definitely fight each other on the slopes.”

Tiger on the head, tiger in the heart

Not only Brignone’s class stands out, but also her helmet – it depicts a tiger. This is exactly how the beam of energy travels from the Aosta Valley. Attacking and sometimes wild, yet precise and often graceful. «Fede is a great fighter. That’s why she chose the tiger,” her mother explains. She has been wearing the helmet since the World Combined Championships last February, when she won gold.

Actually, Brignone is anything but wild off-piste; in interviews she spoke very eloquently and openly. She says she is not a very confident woman. Doubts would always haunt her. “Even if I win, I immediately wonder if I’ll ever be able to do it again.”

She didn’t grow up to be a champion, Brignone said. That’s exactly what she has become. She won 23 World Cup races, four small ones and in 2020 even the big crystal ball in the overall World Cup.

“Lara drives completely differently than I do”

Her relationship with Gut-Behrami is normal: they are neither friends nor in conflict. What unites them is the mutual admiration for their achievements. Brignone: “Lara drives very differently than I do – much more direct. For me she is one of the most intelligent skiers in the ski group. Her tactics and the way she manages key points is phenomenal.”

And what is left? The realization that age may just be a number – at least for world-class athletes like Gut-Behrami and Brignone.

Source : Blick