New Zealand’s ski racing superstar Alice Robinson of Queenstown has claimed silver on the FIS World Cup Giant Slalom circuit in Killington USA overnight.
This is the sixth world cup podium of the 21 year oldi’s career and her first since March 2021.
Australian born Kiwi bred Robinson crossed the finish line in second position, +0.62 seconds behind winner Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), world number one, finished in third position on home snow.
“I am so happy, I was so happy with my first run, it was a bit unexpected. Then second run, I wanted to go for it,” said Robinson.
“I definitely had a few mistakes that maybe cost me the win but it was so tight after the first run that anything could have happened so to finish in second place is amazing.”
The race today was held on the ‘Superstar’ track at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont. Snow conditions were hard and aggressive and the steep pitch immediately out of the start hut required the athletes to quickly find and hold their rhythm.
Robinson (bib 9) had a blinder of a first run, and was the only athlete to clock a sub 57 second time. She flew out of the start gate, finding the green light in the first two sectors of the race. Robinson was visibly ecstatic as she crossed the finish line and realised she had claimed the top spot, knocking Olympic Champion Sweden’s Sara Hector from the leader’s seat.
After a course reset, the top 30 athletes headed back to the top of the course to take their second run, starting in reverse order. As Robinson clocked the fastest run one time she had the advantage of dropping last, but the challenges of having a rougher course and fading light towards the end of the day.
Talking about how she felt going into the second run, Robinson explain, “I was a little bit nervous but I felt calm, I was just pretty excited to be in that position again and be in the position to be really mixing it for the top spots. I was more excited than nervous.”
Robinson will be back in the Giant Slalom bib at next week’s double up World Cup races in Tremblant, Canada.
