VAL D’ISERE, France — Reigning world champion Jasmine Flury claimed only her second World Cup win as the Swiss skier triumphed in a downhill race, while Sofia Goggia moved to the top of the discipline standings in the absence of Mikaela Shiffrin.
Flury was 0.22 seconds ahead of compatriot Joana Haehlen and 0.24 faster than Austrian skier Cornelia Huetter in a race that was delayed because of a horrific crash for Stefanie Fleckenstein.
Flury´s only other World Cup victory in her career was a super-G in her native Switzerland six years ago although the 30-year-old recorded a surprise victory in the world championships in February.
“After the world championship, now to win also a World Cup race, it takes a little bit of pressure again off me and I´m just really happy,” the Swiss Olympic athlete said according to AP.
“It was a wild run. It was really tricky, the slope was a little bit more bumpy than yesterday and I just tried to have a good pressure on the outside ski and go until the finish line.”
Racing with bib No. 6 and with most of the pre-race favorites skiing after her, it seemed unlikely Flury would remain in the leader´s chair but none of them even managed to make the podium.
Haehlen equaled her career-best World Cup result in any discipline by finishing second for the third time.
“It´s perfect, to share the podium with Jasmine is what you dream when you´re a young racer,” the 31-year-old said.
Standout downhill racer Goggia, who admitted afterward that she was far from her best form and was also suffering from a cold, was fourth, 0.44 behind Flury after a mistake in the second part of the O.K. course, which is named after French skiing greats Henri Oreiller and Jean-Claude Killy.
Goggia nevertheless moved into the discipline lead. The Italian, who has topped the World Cup downhill standings in each of the past three seasons, has 17 more points than Flury and 20 more than Huetter.
Shiffrin, who won the only other downhill so far this season last week, is 30 points behind Goggia.
The American is selective picking her downhills – to fit a race and training schedule that prioritizes slalom and giant slalom – and opted to skip the race.
The race was interrupted for about 20 minutes so Fleckenstein could be treated and stretchered off the course.
The Canadian skier crashed right at the end of her run and slid over the finishing line, yelling in pain. Other athletes covered their eyes and ears as Fleckenstein´s screams of agony could be clearly heard.
Shiffrin still leads the overall World Cup standings where she is bidding for a record-tying sixth title.
She has a 163-point lead over 2020 champion Federica Brignone, with 2016 winner Lara Gut-Behrami 28 points further back.
She sighed a breath of relief when Italians Goggia and Federica Brignone, the runner-up and third-place finisher from St. Moritz, fell short of her time. Goggia (1:43.47) had to be content with fourth place with Brignone finishing seventh in 1:44.41.
“It is amazing! I am extremely happy and also for the team with Joana in second place. It is a wonderful day,” Flury told FIS afterwards.
“The turns were a bit bumpy and I didn’t feel so good but I think nobody had a good feeling and it was just about fighting down the finish line.”
An hour into the race, Stefanie Fleckenstein crashed at the bottom of the course where she received medical attention delaying the race.
Goggia leads the World Cup downhill standings on 130 points with Flury moving into second place courtesy of her victory while overall leader Shiffrin occupies fourth place.
