Press release -
Lara Gut-Behrami so close to victory
Lara Gut-Behrami skied seamlessly from one great season to the next at the opening event of the 2021/22 World Cup in Sölden. The Swiss athlete finished second in the Giant Slalom on the Rettenbach Glacier in Tyrol on Saturday, missing victory by just 14 hundredths of a second. In the men's Giant Slalom on Sunday, winner of the discipline last season - Alexis Pinturault - finished in fifth place.
"Our women's team, especially Lara Gut-Behrami and Maria Therese Tviberg, skied really well. Lara Gut-Behrami and Mikaela Shiffrin were in a class of their own. Lara was already well ahead during training. Now she's transferred that to the race as well. The way Maria Therese Tviberg attacked was really good. That's a performance she can build on," says HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "On the men's team, the 1st run was really good. The 2nd run is something we need to analyse. Looking at the overall picture, it was a close thing."
Lara Gut-Behrami was so close to victory, missing out by just 14 hundredths of a second. The World Champion in Giant Slalom was in the lead after the first run. "I knew I had to focus on skiing flat out. The run took me a bit by surprise because in previous years it was always shadier on the steep section. I took advantage of that on the second run. However, from the middle of the steep section onwards, I didn't manage to target each turn perfectly. I wasn't on 100 percent yet and nevertheless I was fast - I've missed that for such a long time," the Swiss athlete explained at the finish. "I'm now looking to improve from one race to the next. I want to ski the way I want and the way I know I can, and I want to show that's the way to win."
Maria Therese Tviberg's best World Cup result
Maria Therese Tviberg was pleased about her best World Cup result. The 27-year-old Norwegian athlete, who was still 14th after the first run, finished fifth with the second-best time on the second run. Sixth place in Sölden in 2019 had been her best result so far. Points also went to Sara Hector from Sweden in twelfth place, Ragnhild Mowinckel from Norway in 18th place, AJ Hurt from the USA in 20th place and Coralie Frasse Sombet from France in 21st place.
Giant Slalom overall winner Alexis Pinturault in fifth place
The best HEAD World Cup Rebel in the men's event was French athlete Alexis Pinturault in fifth place. Last season's Giant Slalom and overall World Cup winner moved up one place on the second run. His compatriot Mathieu Faivre, second after the first run, finished in eleventh place. World Cup points were also notched up by Justin Murisier from Switzerland in twelfth place, Stefan Luitz from Germany in 17th place, his compatriot Alexander Schmid in 19th place and Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen from Norway in 24th place.
Topics
About HEAD
HEAD is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of premium sports equipment and apparel.
Our business is organized into five divisions: Winter Sports, Racquet Sports, Diving, Sportswear and Licensing. We sell products under the HEAD (alpine skis, ski bindings, ski boots, snowboard and protection products, tennis, racquetball, paddle, squash and pickleball racquets, tennis balls and tennis footwear, sportswear and swimming products), Penn (tennis balls and racquetball balls), Tyrolia (ski bindings) and Mares, SSI and rEvo (diving) brands. The Company´s key products have attained leading market positions based on sales and reputation and have gained high visibility through their use by many of today´s top athletes.
