FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2023/24: Cornelia Huetter takes Saalbach downhill to snatch series title
In the final women's World Cup race of the season, Austrian Huetter delighted the home fans as she edged out Lara Gut-Behrami for the Crystal Globe.
Alpine Skiing
Cornelia Huetter sealed the downhill World Cup title in the final women's 2023/24 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup race of the season on Saturday (23 March) in Saalbach, Austria.
In warm conditions, and after a couple of delays, the Austrian stormed to the finish line on home snow in a time of 1.45.08.
A day after sealing the Super G title, Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami led by 68 points going into the downhill finale. But she was almost two seconds off the pace and needed two athletes to beat Huetter's time in order to take her fourth Crystal Globe of the season.
And Huetter would not be beaten with Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia 0.17 adrift in second and Italy's Nicol Delago completed the podium in third.
The 31-year-old jumped from fourth to first in the downhill standings with a final total of 397 points, 28 clear of Gut-Behrami who eventually finished out of the points in 17th. Sofia Goggia - whose season was ended by a leg fracture in training early in February - was third with 350.
Saalbach, FIS World Cup: Results from women's downhill, 23 March 2024 (top 10):
- Cornelia Huetter (AUT) 1.45.08
- Ilka Stuhec (SLO) +0.17
- Nicol Delago (ITA) +0.49
- Christina Agner (AUT) +0.50
- Stephanie Venier (AUT) +0.62
- Mirjam Puchner (AUT) +0.63
- Michelle Gisin (SUI) +0.75
- Kira Weidle (GER) +0.81
- Federica Brignone (ITA) +1.13
- Ariane Raedler (AUT) +1.17