Does she do it like the American ski queens?: Now Gut-Behrami reaches for the four balls

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When Lara Gut-Behrami (32) crossed the finish line in Crans-Montana USA, the Swiss ski bosses gave her a high five in the finish area. Chairman Urs Lehmann, co-CEO Diegoüger and Alpin boss Hans Flatscher are beaming. The reason is clear: the woman from Ticino succeeded again – and then during a home race.

She wins the World Cup for the 44th time, but needs a few seconds more than the spectators to cheer. The reason? The finish line is moved up before the descent because the snow is extremely fast. «A correct measure. Because the finish jump was dangerous and the finish area was impassable,” said the winner.

Gut-Behrami like Vonn and Shiffrin once did?

Gut-Behrami cannot stop this adjustment. Like? Whatever happens: the Ticino resident has been mastering everything for weeks. She has won the last four races she has competed in: a super-G, two giant slaloms and now the Mont-Lachaux downhill. This means that she not only extends her lead in the overall World Cup to 105 points, but also has the best chance of winning not only the large but also three small crystal balls for the World Cups discipline. Four bullets in one winter? Only Lindsey Vonn (2010 and 2012) and Mikaela Shiffrin (2019) achieved this among women before her. Gut-Behrami, the bullet hunter!

Just like in the match with Vonn in 2016, Gut-Behrami will also benefit this time from the fact that Shiffrin, another American, is missing. And Shiffrin announced Friday that she likely won’t return to the World Cup until March, so Gut-Behrami almost has a free ride. «I would certainly be happy to win the overall World Cup. But there’s no point in talking about it now,” she says.

How difficult must that be for your opponents?

Gut-Behrami does not seem euphoric after her triumph in Valais. She is of course happy with her 44th World Cup victory. But when analyzing her drive to win, she struggles: “This soft snow doesn’t suit me, I hardly feel it. The ski also kept slipping. And my line wasn’t what I wanted either.”

These are sentences that must feel like eyelashes to her competitors. Especially because Gut-Behrami always emphasizes that she is not risking everything. ‘The most important thing is to stay healthy. Even though I was on the limit a few times today, I feel very safe on the skis.”

For them, sport is more important than show

She still has to be careful, Gut-Behrami says. “I know how quickly you can end up in the hospital. And I don’t want that.” Could she even consider quitting racing if she doesn’t feel ready? This is the last of all options, she explains. “Then it would make more sense, for example, not to to go to the starting number draw. The sport is my priority, not the show.”

The fact is, if Gut-Behrami wins the Big Crystal Ball for the second time, she would be the oldest woman in World Cup history to achieve the feat. Almost no one in Crans-Montana doubts this.

Source : Blick