First Gut-Behrami throws up, then she races onto the stage: “That’s crazy.”

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First, first, first, first – and now third. On another spring day in Crans-Montana USA, Lara Gut-Behrami’s (32) winning streak comes to an end. Horrible? No. On the one hand, she has increased her lead at the top of the overall World Cup by 60 points – she now has 165 points over Mikaela Shiffrin (28, USA), who is still on hiatus. On the other hand, the Ticino woman takes the lead in the Downhill World Cup. If Gut-Behrami stays healthy, a shower of crystal balls awaits her at the end of winter. «I never thought that I would wear a red number in February as a leader in three disciplines. Now I can play for something big. That makes me proud.”

Their total triumph is not yet a fact. Gut-Behrami still has nine races to go and will skip the two remaining slaloms. The fact is: it would have to be the devil if she was not crowned ski queen of the winter during the World Cup finals in Saalbach. “That’s crazy. Downhill in particular has always been a strange discipline for me. This is where I won the most medals at the beginning of my career. There are slopes where I can go very quickly and others where I can’t move at all.”

“It’s not an excuse”

On the Valais plateau, Gut-Behrami has already achieved four victories and a further two podium finishes. The last one on this sunny day again has its own story. “I had to throw up shortly before the start,” she says. But why? Gut-Behrami has to smile. «Because of the fatigue. I had to learn that this can also make you throw up.” The program is very strenuous and the days are very long. “It’s no excuse if I always say that.”

Nowadays, Gut-Behrami often talks about how important it is to stay healthy and certainly not to lose too much energy. This goes so far that before the races she even has to break the hearts of some children who demand autographs or selfies. ‘I understand your disappointment. But I can afford to lose my focus and energy. Then I tell the kids that I have time for them after the race.”

Gut-Behrami prevents fiasco

Despite the intermezzo before the start: On the track, Gut-Behrami shows what she is made of. In the technical passages she does not ride as well as surprise winner Marta Bassino (27), but she is still strong. It is only hung in the flat center section. «I didn’t have the strength to ski. So I tried to let the skis run and just do nothing else. But I couldn’t really resist.” She is still satisfied, “very satisfied” even.

With her third place, Gut-Behrami avoided a Swiss debacle. Something like that would fit in with the negative reports surrounding the World Cup events. Jasmine Flury (30), second the day before, only finished in 19th place. The fourth place of Elvedina Muzaferija (24) is special: it is Bosnia-Herzegovina’s greatest success in ski history.

Source : Blick