A Crystal Globe, double & triple victories – HEAD World Cup Rebels remain on course for success

The HEAD women's team aced the Crans Montana speed disciplines. Following the double victory by Lara Gut-Behrami and Corinne Suter in the Downhill on Friday, Gut-Behrami, Suter and Nina Ortlieb bagged a triple victory in the Downhill on Saturday. Corinne Suter has secured the Crystal Globe in this discipline with her two second places.

For the Swiss athlete this is the first Crystal Globe in her career. Leading up to the final Downhill race of the season Suter already has 477 points, giving her an unsurpassable 155 point lead. "I'm really pleased the home races went so well. There was a lot going on and I hardly slept last night. I am all the happier that I showed what I can do again today. There was a lot of pressure because I keep being asked about it. I'm just happy to be in the lead now," said Corinne Suter about winning the Crystal Globe.

HEAD trio within five hundredths of a second

In the Downhill race on Saturday the three HEAD World Cup Rebels were just five hundredths of a second apart. Lara Gut-Behrami finished in first place two hundredths of a second in front. The Swiss athlete celebrated her first real success after more than two years with her victory the day before. The 28-year-old's previous victory was on 21 January 2018 when she won the Super-G in Cortina d'Ampezzo. In the Downhill she last stood on top of the podium on 28 January 2017, also in Cortina d'Ampezzo. "I felt good about the run. In skiing you spend a long time wondering why you are two seconds too slow. When you find your confidence again, that's when you find the speed," said Lara Gut-Behrami. "I have often had to fight back in my career. When I skied from top to bottom the way I pictured it in my head, I was always much faster. I would like to thank my service man and the whole team, we worked really hard."

First podium finish for Nina Ortlieb

Nina Ortlieb celebrated a premiere with her third place on Saturday. For the Austrian athlete this is the first podium finish in her career. "I'm totally happy it worked out. I can be satisfied and proud of the result and my performance. I'm over the moon. This gives me even more motivation," said Nina Ortlieb. On Friday Nina Ortlieb finished in sixth place, Elena Curtoni from Italy was tenth and Tina Weirather from Liechtenstein 13th. Elena Curtoni also finished among the top 15 on Saturday in eleventh place.

Best World Cup result for Franziska Gritsch

Franziska Gritsch was pleased with her second podium finish and best World Cup result so far in the Combined event in Crans Montana on Sunday. Following an excellent fifth place in the Super-G, the Austrian athlete finished in second place overall with the second-fastest time in the Slalom. The 22-year-old's only previous podium finish was in the Parallel Slalom in St. Moritz in December. Wendy Holdener from Switzerland finished in fifth place in the Combined event, Roni Remme from Canada was seventh, Laura Pirovano from Italy tenth, Nina Ortlieb eleventh and Nevena Ignjatovic from Serbia 14th.

Tommy Ford third in the Giant Slalom in Yuzawa Naeba

In the men's Giant Slalom in Yuzawa Naeba in Japan on Saturday, Tommy Ford raced to the podium in third place. This is the second podium finish for the 30-year-old from the USA following his victory in the Giant Slalom in Beaver Creek in December. His compatriot Ted Ligety was eleventh and Alexis Pinturault from France 15th. The Slalom event on Sunday was cancelled.