Emma Aicher pips Breezy Johnson at Val di Fassa to close on Vonn and Shiffrin | Skiing
With no injured Lindsey Vonn or Mikaela Shiffrin starting a World Cup downhill race on Friday, Emma Aicher saw her chance to reduce the American superstars’ lead in the season standings.
Aicher, an Olympic downhill silver medalist, placed second – just 0.01 behind first-time winner Laura Pirovano, pushing Olympic champion Breezy Johnson to third place – and cut Vonn’s lead in the downhill points race to just 14 with two races remaining.
Vonn’s hugely successful World Cup season at age 41 ended with a serious fall a month ago at the Milan Cortina Olympics that destroyed her left leg.
Aicher’s 80 World Cup points on Friday also cut Shiffrin’s lead in the overall standings to 139 ahead of another scheduled run on Saturday.
The tight race for the giant crystal globe trophy with eight races remaining could see Shiffrin make a rare start in a super-G on Sunday. Chasing a sixth career overall World Cup title. Shiffrin has accumulated all of her points so far in slalom and giant slalom.
Friday’s race replaced the descent five weeks ago at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, abandoned after Vonn crashed and tore the ACL in her left knee.
Pirovano was a popular winner on local snow, taking a maiden victory, as well as a maiden podium, in her 125th World Cup start.
The 28-year-old Italian has been a model of consistency with top-10 results this season and a sixth-place finish in the Olympic downhill in nearby Cortina d’Ampezzo.
An elusive maiden victory propelled Pirovano to third place in the downhill standings, 64 behind Vonn and 50 behind Aicher.
Pirovano was among the few riders to exceed 130 km/h (81 mph) on a sunny, calm and freezing day, ideal for the renowned speed discipline.
Two former Olympic champions dropped out of the competition after losing time in the lower half of the 2.3 km (1.4 mile) course.
2022 Olympic gold medalist Corinne Suter looked set to match her victory last weekend in Soldeu, Andorra, but placed eighth, 0.49 behind Pirovano.
Sofia Goggia, 2018 champion and bronze medalist in Cortina last month, was 17th at 0.90.
A second descent is planned for Saturday on the Volata in Val di Fassa, followed by the super-G on Sunday.
The final downhill will take place at the World Cup Final in Kvitfjell, Norway on March 21.
