Press release -
James Crawford crowned king of the Streif run
James Crawford adds another big jewel to his crown. World Champion of the Super-G in 2023, the Canadian athlete wins the legendary Hahnenkamm Downhill race on the Streif run on Saturday. This is the first World Cup win for the 27-year-old. Lara Gut-Behrami and Kajsa Vickhoff Lie lead the women's HEAD World Cup Rebels team to celebrate a double victory in the Super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Sunday. Corinne Suter podiums yet again, racing to third place in the Downhill on Saturday.
"The absolute highlight this weekend is of course the victory by James Crawford. It is his first World Cup victory - and in Kitzbühel of all places - that's amazing! Summer was difficult because we reassessed decisions affecting his equipment setup. He already skied very well in Wengen, and at the World Championships two years ago proved that he has what it takes. It is awesome for us to have won this race, especially because Vincent Kriechmayr was unable to complete" said HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "With the women's double victory in the Super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and four athletes in the top six, it was a close to perfect weekend in terms of results. Lara Gut-Behrami skied a sensational run. From start to finish, everything slotted into place for a well-deserved victory. Corinne Suter has now bagged two podiums in a row. That gives her a lot of confidence as she recovers from injury, which is also important for the World Championships. Nina Ortlieb's injury during an unfortunate fall overshadowed the weekend. These are moments that you hope will never happen. She had fought back so bravely. Sadly, the season is also over for Alexis Pinturault."
"A dream has come true"
In 2023, James Crawford won Gold in the Super-G at the World Championships in Courchevel. In the World Cup, the Canadian athlete podiumed four times previously - second in the Super-G in Kvitfjell 2022, third in the Downhill in Beaver Creek 2022, and second in the Downhill races in Bormio 2022 and Aspen 2023. Now he has finally reached the top in the World Cup as well. Starting the Hahnenkamm Downhill race with bib number 20, the 27-year-old was eight hundredths of a second faster than Alexis Monney, who had been in the lead until then. "A dream has come true. I've been waiting a long time for my first World Cup victory, and for it to happen in Kitzbühel is unreal. I don't really have many words to describe the feeling. Things have been going well for some time now, and today I was able to ski freely without pressure," said a delighted James Crawford. World Cup points were also picked up in the Downhill by Stefan Babinsky from Austria in eighth place, Franjo von Allmen from Switzerland ninth, Justin Murisier from Switzerland eleventh, Nils Alphand from France 16th, Ryan Cochran-Siegle from the USA 19th, and Matthieu Bailet from France in 28th place.
Franjo von Allmen just misses podium in the Super-G
In the Super-G in Kitzbühel on Friday, Franjo von Allmen finished fourth to just miss the podium by 15 hundredths of a second. James Crawford already showed his potential in this race in eighth place, Justin Murisier finished ninth. Points also went to the two Austrians Stefan Eichberger in 13th place and Stefan Babinsky 20th, as well as to Nicolo Molteni from Italy in 30th place. Alexis Pinturault from France fell and suffered a bone contusion of the tibial plateau, a fracture of the tibial plateau and an injury to the medial meniscus.
Johannes Strolz best HEAD World Cup Rebel in the Slalom
In the Slalom that rounded off the weekend in Kitzbühel on Sunday, Johannes Strolz from Austria was the best in the HEAD team in twelfth place. Albert Popov from Bulgaria finished in 14th place, Paco Rassat from France was 15th, Dave Ryding and Laurie Taylor from Britain shared 16th place, and Benjamin Ritchie from the USA finished in 21st place.
Lara Gut-Behrami extends lead in Super-G World Cup
Her 46th World Cup victory, 23rd in the Super-G and fifth in a Super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, extends Lara Gut-Behrami's lead in the Super-G World Cup to 75 points. "Winning is different than coming fourth or fifth. For me personally, it's important that I build up confidence. I have been skiing pretty well recently. Today I skied from top to bottom without any major mistakes. I am happy that it was enough for the victory. The start of the season was a bit strange for me following a minor injury. I didn't have the courage to ski full speed in the Giant Slalom. Then I managed to podium in Kronplatz. Now things are going the way I want them to again," said Lara Gut-Behrami.
"I'm getting more and more confident"
Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, her HEAD team-mate, finished second. This is the second podium for the Norwegian athlete this season following her second place in the Downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo. "It was real Norwegian-style weather with rain and salty snow conditions, which wasn't too icy. The start of the season wasn't so good, so this was a good step up. I'm getting more and more confident, things are going well," said Kajsa Vickhoff Lie. Laura Pirovano from Italy finished in fifth place, followed by Keely Cashman who was sixth - the best World Cup result for the 25-year-old US athlete so far. World Cup points were also scored by Stephanie Venier from Austria in ninth place, Elena Curtoni from Italy who was eleventh, Lindsey Vonn from the USA 13th, Corinne Suter from Switzerland 14th, Laura Gauche from France 21st, Nadine Fest from Austria 22nd, Emma Aicher from Germany 24th and Austrians Magdalena Egger and Stephanie Brunner in 27th and 29th place.
Corinne Suter podiums in the Downhill
Corinne Suter confirmed yet again that she is on the way up in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Having finished in third place in the Super-G in Cortina d'Ampezzo last week, the Swiss athlete also claimed her first podium finish in the Downhill this season on Friday. The HEAD World Cup Rebels once again put in a strong team performance with a total of seven athletes finishing in the top 15 - following Corinne Suter, Lara Gut-Behrami finished fifth, Austrians Ariane Rädler and Cornelia Hütter were seventh and eighth, Laura Pirovano tenth, Kajsa Vickhoff Lie twelfth and Elena Curtoni 15th. Points were also picked up by Stephanie Venier in 20th place, Laura Gauche 21st, Magdalena Egger 26th, and Delia Durrer from Switzerland in 28th place. The race was overshadowed by Nina Ortlieb's serious injury. The Austrian athlete suffered a lower leg fracture on her right leg.
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