FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2023/24: Lara Gut-Behrami claims women's super G globe, Ester Ledecka takes win in Saalbach
A seventh-place finish at the World Cup Final in Austria was enough for Gut-Behrami to take the World Cup title in super G, as 2018 Olympic champion Ester Ledecka claimed her first win in over two years.
Alpine Skiing
Lara Gut-Behrami was crowned the 2023/24 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup winner in women's super G on Friday (22 March) after finishing seventh at the season-ending World Cup Final in Saalbach, Austria.
Only two women, Cornelia Huetter and Federica Brignone, could overtake her in the standings heading into the race, with Huetter beginning the day 69 points back and Brignone a further five points adrift.
But it was none of the three who topped the timesheets. Instead, the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic champion Ester Ledecka – fresh off the back of a podium at Kvitfjell earlier this month – who posted the fastest time.
In warm conditions, the Czech skier was the most consistent down the Ulli Maier slope, recording the second-fastest splits in the second and third sectors of the course. Her 1:15.94 put her into top spot, a lead she never relinquished.
It was her first World Cup win since a downhill at Crans Montana in February 2022, after struggling with injury in the 2022/23 season, and the fourth of her Alpine skiing career.
Brignone came closest, 0.28 seconds behind, with Kajsa Vickhoff Lie third 0.30 seconds behind Ledecka. Huetter, who was temporarily in second after her run, finished fifth.
But Gut-Behrami's final result of seventh (1:16.46) was enough to see her take her fifth career super G globe on 576 points, 30 ahead of Brignone. Huetter finished the season third another 30 points further behind.
"I'm super proud about that, super G is a discipline I really love and to win the globe again is unbelievable," Gut-Behrami told FIS afterwards. "Today was a challenging race because of the conditions, it's incredible that we managed to have a course like that because it's so warm. It was good to ski."
The women's season ends on Saturday with the downhill, in which Gut-Behrami will attempt to win a fourth title this season. She had already won the giant slalom and overall titles before adding the super G crown.
Saalbach, FIS World Cup: Results from women's super G, 22 March 2024 (top 10):
- Ester Ledecka (CZE) 1:15.94
- Federica Brignone (ITA) +0.28
- Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (NOR) +0.30
- Stephanie Venier (AUT) +0.35
- Cornelia Huetter (AUT) +0.43
- Kira Weidle (GER) +0.45
- Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) +0.52
- Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR) +0.53
- Marta Bassino (ITA) +0.80
- Ariane Raedler (AUT) +0.82