Lara Gut-Behrami wins Killington World Cup giant slalom

Reigning world champion Lara Gut-Behrami claimed a 35th alpine skiing World Cup win, taking the women's giant slalom in Killington, USA on Saturday (26 November) in her first race of the season.

"My best place here before was 19th place, so I'm happy," said Gut-Behrami after the win. "It's a good way to start the season."

The Swiss beat Italy's Marta Bassino, winner here two years ago, by 0.07s.

Sweden's Olympic champion in this discipline, Sara Hector, was unlucky to be buffeted by the wind on her second run having led after the first.

She finished in third, two-tenths behind the victor, ahead of Slovakia's 2019 giant slalom world champion Petra Vlhova.

The wind also hampered Norway's Ragnhild Mowinckel on her second run with the two-time Olympic silver medallist slipping from second after the first run to sixth place, one spot behind Austria's Katharina Liensberger.

Italian-born Albanian skier Lara Colturi became the second youngest World Cup points scorer in history, at 16 years and one week, after finishing 17th to cement her rising star prospects.

Home favourite Mikaela Shiffrin revealed to media after the first run she did not have great expectations after a lack of giant slalom practice pre-season and that she felt her timing was off.

The American finished in 13th place, but will have higher hopes in Sunday's slalom.

Women’s Alpine skiing World Cup giant slalom results – Killington:

1 Lara Gut-Behrami, Switzerland 1:44.08
2 Marta Bassino, Italy 1:44.15
3 Sara Hector, Sweden 1:44.28
4 Petra Vlhova, Slovakia 1:44.54
5 Katharina Liensberger, Austria 1:44.63

For full results, see here.