(Reuters) – Federica Brignone secured her second World Cup giant slalom win within two consecutive days at Mont Tremblant, Quebec, while Mikaela Shiffrin clinched her 143rd career podium with a third-place finish in difficult weather conditions.
After trailing Olympic champion Petra Vlhova of Slovakia by 1.22 seconds following the first run, Brignone emerged victorious by 33 hundredths of a second over Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami, clocking a total time of two minutes and 11.95 seconds.
The weather deteriorated during the race, but 33-year-old Brignone, the oldest woman to win a World Cup giant slalom, was at ease in the dark and snowy conditions, unlike many others.
“I knew the conditions were really tough because you couldn’t see, it was snowing, it was windy,” said Olympic silver medallist Brignone.
“But normally in these conditions I am good. And I’ve been training the last month always in these conditions so before the race we said with my brother ‘ok you’re ready.'”
Vlhova, who was in position to win her first World Cup giant slalom in 21 months after the first run, dropped to fifth place, 67 hundredths of a second behind Brignone.
Shiffrin, aiming for a record-extending 91st World Cup win, had the second fastest time after the first run and trailed Vlhova by five hundredths of a second, but finished with the 18th fastest time in her second run and settled for third.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
