Queenstown based Kiwi Alice Robinson took gold, and her fourth World Cup victory, overnight at the Kronplatz FIS Giant Slalom World Cup.
It has been four years for the Australian-born Robinson since last standing on the top of a World Cup podium, taking gold in Lenzerheide back in March 2021.
“I am really quite speechless…it’s been four years since I last won and there were definitely some times in those four years where I wasn’t sure if I was going to win again, to be back winning here is so special,” said Robinson who has already claimed two bronze and a silver this season on the FIS World Cup circuit.
The race was tight with the top eight women separated by less than a second after the first fun. Robinson was sitting in 5th place, +0.49 seconds off the pace of leader Federica Brignone of Italy.
“I knew after the first run that I had a little mistake, and I felt like the last few races I have been missing that extra gear to push a bit harder and take a few more risks. In the second run I just really didn’t want to get to the finish and feel like I could have done more. I took a lot of risks and it wasn’t perfect, but it was fast,” said Robinson.
It was a dramatic final few runs, with Sara Hector of Sweden and Federica Brignone of Italy both recording uncharacteristic DNFs (Did Not Finishes). The two athletes who completed their runs were no match for Robinson’s lightning fast second run and she took the win by over half a second.
Robinson was joined on the podium by the 2024 FIS Giant Slalom Crystal Globe winner, Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland in second and the USA’s Paula Moltzan in third.
Today’s result certainly bodes well for Robinson, who will next be in the Giant Slalom start gate at the World Ski Championships set to be held in the first two weeks of February in Saalbach, Austria.
