BEAVER CREEK, Colorado — Italy’s Sofia Goggia made a stirring return to competition by winning the women’s super-G in Colorado for her 25th World Cup victory in only her second race since breaking her right leg in February.
Goggia covered the Birds of Prey course in 1 minute, 03.90 seconds to beat defending overall World Cup champion Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland by 0.48 seconds.
Austria’s Ariane Raedler finished third for her second World Cup podium finish with a run that bumped compatriot Cornelia Huetter, who edged Goggia to win downhill race, into fourth place.
“I felt happy, and I brought my joy on skis, and I said, with the (starting) No. 13, one of the last numbers of the first group, if I end up with the green light then I am going to do the samba,” Goggia said according to AP.
“But there is one thing, I am not Brazilian, I am Italian. I am from Bergamo, and Bergamo is well known for polenta so the only thing that I can do is polenta,” she added while mimicking the stirring motion of preparing polenta.
Goggia showcased great timing and power, particularly over the lower portions of the formidable track, to pick up her seventh World Cup super-G win.
“It was not so difficult as a super-G but the visibility was really low,” Goggia said. “But I knew that I had to stay a little bit like careful and pay attention to the first five games, and then I could let my horses run.”
Meanwhile, Lindsey Vonn, who will soon make her highly anticipated return to the World Cup circuit, said she hopes her comeback gets her to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Vonn tested out the Birds of Prey course in Beaver Creek, Colorado, as a forerunner ahead of the first-ever women’s World Cup downhill event on the formidable track and later stated the goal behind her decision to return to racing.
“I’ve tried to keep everything in perspective and not set goals too high but ultimately, if I can make it to Cortina, that would be my goal,” said Vonn, who has 82 World Cup wins and counts one gold among her three Olympic medals.
The 40-year-old American had retired in February 2019 citing the physical toll the sport had taken on her body but, following partial knee replacement surgery in April, announced last month she was making a comeback.
Mikaela Shiffrin, also, is recovering after undergoing abdominal surgery to clean out a puncture wound she received in a giant slalom crash two weeks ago.
Shiffrin posted an update on Instagram while her teammates took on the Birds of Prey course in a women’s downhill race at Beaver Creek.
She added in her post: “Biggest bummer right now is that I can´t get up to the finish to watch my teammates’ race in person. But I´m watching and cheering on TV!”
There’s no timetable for Shiffrin’s return to racing after suffering bruises and the deep puncture to her hip area – but no ligament or bone damage – during a crash on Nov. 30 in Killington. She was leading after the first run of the GS as she chased after her 100th World Cup win.
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