Gut-Behrami comes second in Kvitfjell and extends his World Cup lead

Lara Gut-Behrami continues her progress in the All-Around World Cup and Super-G World Cup championships. The Ticino canton woman came second in the second Super-G race in Quettaville – behind Federica Brignone, but well ahead of Cornelia Hütter.

Jot Bahrami had to worry about finishing second several times on Sunday – not because her rivals got dangerously close to her, but because dense fog repeatedly interrupted the race and a race cancellation was out of the question due to the pessimistic forecast. . Ultimately, due to darkness falling, it ended with only 41 of the 48 competitors taking part, but the race was counted, as usual, according to the unwritten law, after 30 athletes had started.

“It was not an easy day. “Such interruptions are difficult for everyone, for the athletes as well as for the FIS, because safety must be above everything else,” said Gut Bahrami, who had to wait longer than usual with starting number 15 before she could start. She wanted to get to the finish line healthy and fast too, and she succeeded, said the clock driver, who is still on his way to three small crystal balls and one big one.

Federica Brignone, who was third in the discipline rankings and second in the World Cup overall, was clearly quickest on this brutal Sunday, despite thick wisps of fog during her journey. The 25-time World Cup winner won from Milan by 61 hundredths over Gut Behrami and 79 hundredths ahead of Czech Esther Ledecka. Cornelia Hütter, Gut-Behrami's first chaser in the Super-G World Cup, was only 1.27 seconds behind in seventh place.

The rain of lead is approaching

This means Gut-Behrami is one step closer to winning the World Cup overall for the second time in her career after 2016. With six races to go, the gap over her new number one chaser Brignone stands at 326 points. Mikaela Shiffrin, who wants to return to technical racing in Aree next weekend, is 385 points behind. It is a margin that Gut Bahrami will not be able to give up, even without the impressive form shown in the past few weeks and months. The 32-year-old has won only eight of the 24 races she has entered this winter. It has placed in the top three on 15 and in the top six on 20.

Gut-Behrami's fifth discipline win in Super-G after 2014, 2016, 2021 and 2023 is also difficult to snatch away. The Swiss enters the final race on March 22 in Saalbach with 69 and 74 points, respectively, behind Hütter and Brignone.

Three final tickets for the second guard

As happened on Saturday, when Gut Bahrami defeated Hütter and Miriam Büchner and Delia Dürer was the best team mate for the eight-time season winner in 21st place, the other Swiss women were unable to reach the top positions. Some of them showed an upward trend: Michelle Gisin came in 14th place, Jasmina Suter finished the race in 16th place, Delia Durer in 20th place, and Prisca Nover in 23rd place.

Jasmina Sutter, like Gut Behrami and Jessen as well as the injured Swiss trio of Corinne Sutter, Yasmine Fleury and Joanna Hallen, has qualified for the World Cup final. Unlike Corinne Sutter, Fleury and Helen may be ready to engage again on March 22. (seda)