Press release -
Ragnhild Mowinckel just misses first Super-G victory
Finishing in second place in the Super-G in Val d'Isere on Sunday, Ragnhild Mowinckel narrowly missed her first win in this discipline. Elena Curtoni finished in third place to bag another HEAD Worldcup Rebel podium in this race. There were also podium finishes for Matthias Mayer and Vincent Kriechmayr in Val Gardena this weekend. Lara Gut-Behrami had to leave Val d'Isere due to a corona infection.
"The women's results in the super-G in Val d'Isere were awesome. Ragnhild Mowinckel has seen that she can also beat Sofia Goggia. Unfortunately, one of her turns was not perfect. Elisabeth Reisinger is back on top form following her injury," says HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "Val Gardena also went well for us. The Super-G was excellent. In the Downhill event it depended on your bib number because the wind direction shifted a bit. Of course it is a pity that Lara Gut-Behrami, our fastest skier, was not able to compete. It is a shame that she will now also miss the Giant Slalom races in Courchevel. Covid can hit us at any time, unfortunately. From what I've heard, though, she's recovering well. We hope to see her back again soon."
Lara Gut-Behrami had to leave Val d'Isere
In addition to Norwegian athlete Ragnhild Mowinckel in second place and Elena Curtoni from Italy in third place, four more HEAD Worldcup Rebels finished in the top 15 in the Super-G with Corinne Suter from Switzerland sixth, Cornelia Hütter from Austria eighth and the two Austrian athletes Ariane Rädler and Elisabeth Reisinger in 13th and 14th. The HEAD team received devastating news before the event in Val d'Isere. Super-G World Champion Lara Gut-Behrami had to leave France because she had contracted the coronavirus. Consequently, she had to miss the Downhill and Super-G in Val d'Isere and will also not be able to compete in the two Giant Slalom competitions in Courchevel. In the Downhill on Saturday, six HEAD athletes were placed among the top 15: Corinne Suter finished sixth, Ragnhild Mowinckel seventh, Elena Curtoni ninth, Ariane Rädler twelfth, Elisabeth Reisinger 13th and French athlete Laura Gauche 14th.
Matthias Mayer and Vincent Kriechmayr on the Super-G podium in Val Gardena
In the Super-G in Val Gardena on Friday, two HEAD Worldcup Rebels raced to the podium: Matthias Mayer finished in second place and Vincent Kriechmayr was third. Beat Feuz from Switzerland finished fourth. The Canadian athlete James Crawford was in eighth place, Ryan Cochran-Siegle from the USA ninth and the two German athletes Josef Ferstl in eleventh and Simon Jocher in 15th delivered a strong result at the finish for the HEAD team. For Matthias Mayer, this was the fourth podium finish in the speed disciplines this season. "I've put in a consistent performance over the last two years. I started well this season. In Europe, the first race has now shown that I can continue this way. I am very happy with that," said the delighted Austrian at the finish. His compatriot Vincent Kriechmayr was also satisfied with his first Super-G podium this season: "I definitely skied better than in Beaver Creek and was much more determined. Except on the Ciaslat section, where I may have held back a bit. You have to commit 100 percent from start to finish on that run, but third place is a good result."
Matthias Mayer is in the lead in the Downhill and Super-G World Cup
The HEAD athletes Beat Feuz, Johan Clarey from France, Mattia Casse from Italy, Simon Jocher and Josef Ferstl finished in the fifth to ninth places in the Downhill in Val Gardena on Saturday. As a result, Jocher and Ferstl have qualified for the Olympic Games in Beijing. Vincent Kriechmayr finished in 14th place and Matthias Mayer was 16th. Following the competitions in Val Gardena, Matthias Mayer leads both the Downhill and Super-G World Cup rankings.
📷 GEPA pictures
Atle Lie McGrath races from 29th to twelfth place with fastest second run
In the first of two Giant Slaloms in Alta Badia, Swiss athlete Justin Murisier was the best of the HEAD team in seventh place. Atle Lie McGrath from Norway raced from 29th to twelfth place with the second-fastest time on the second run. Alexis Pinturault from France finished 15th, just ahead of his compatriot Mathieu Faivre, who was in the lead after the first run.
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