Alpine ski World Cup 23/24: Stephanie Venier wins crash-marred Cortina downhill as Shiffrin airlifted off course
Multiple crashes resulted in long course holds, with Venier taking her first World Cup victory in five years.
Alpine Skiing
Stephenie Venier claimed a surprise FIS Alpine Ski World Cup win on Friday (26 January) after triumphing in a dramatic downhill race in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy marred by multiple crashes, including one for Crystal Globe leader Mikaela Shiffrin.
The Austrian hadn't won on the circuit since a downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen five years ago, but was in good form after scoring a podium with a second finish two weeks ago in Altenmarkt.
Venier, the 17th woman to take to the famous slopes of the Olympia delle Tofana, was the fastest woman on a course that had deteriorated due to warm temperatures in Cortina.
The 30-year-old clocked 1:33.06, nearly four-tenths clear of her closest challenger Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland.
Gut-Behrami had been forced to wait nearly half an hour for her descent after Shiffrin's crash near the top of the hill forced a long delay, first to extricate the stricken American – who was unable to put any weight on her left leg, then to fix the safety netting.
The Swiss' 1:33.45 time put her in the early lead until Venier overtook her.
There was a three-way tie for third, with Canada's Valerie Grenier, Austria's Christina Ager, and downhill World Cup standings leader Sofia Goggia of Italy all 0.71 seconds behind Venier.
Cortina d'Ampezzo, FIS World Cup: Results from women's downhill, 26 January 2024 (top 10)
1. Stephanie Venier (AUT) 1:33.06
2. Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) +0.39
=3. Valerie Grenier (CAN) / Christina Ager (AUT) / Sofia Goggia (ITA) +0.71
6. Laura Pirovano (ITA) +0.91
7. Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (NOR) +0.94
8. Cornelia Huetter (AUT) +0.98
9. Mirjam Puchner (AUT) +0.99
10. Joana Haehlen (SUI) +1.11