'I'm really speechless': Huetter wins downhill race and globe to deny Gut-Behrami
Mar 23, 2024·Alpine Skiing
An Austrian crowd has rarely cheered so loudly when a Swiss skier crossed the finish line, but unfortunately for Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI), the celebrations were for newly crowned World Cup downhill champion Conny Huetter (AUT).
Huetter won the final race of the women's season on Saturday on home snow in Saalbach and claimed the downhill title in dramatic fashion, denying Gut-Behrami her fourth crystal globe of the season.
After Huetter took the lead with bib No. 12, Gut-Behrami needed to finish ninth or higher to guarantee the globe. But she crossed the line in 11th to send the crowd into raptures, and ended up 17th.
The Austrian's title was only assured, however, when she withstood later challenges by runner-up Ilka Stuhec (SLO, +0.17s) and third-placed Nicol Delago (ITA, +0.49s), who could have bumped her down the list and restored Gut-Behrami's lead.
But Huetter prevailed to win her first downhill race in over six years and take home her maiden crystal globe after beginning the day 72 points behind Gut-Behrami.
"I'm really speechless," the 31-year-old said. "It's amazing to have a home race with this ending, I never can imagine it."
On a difficult day for racing in soft snow, windy conditions and with two delays, Huetter took control in the technical middle section, overcoming early leader Christina Ager (AUT) to throw down the gauntlet to Gut-Behrami.
"This morning I woke up and I slept so bad, and I woke up and I thought, 'Give your best, it's the last chance today for this season,' and I did it," Huetter said.
Two skiers later, Gut-Behrami struggled in conditions unsuited to her and lost time at every split, ultimately finishing 1.89 seconds behind Huetter and foregoing the chance to add to her overall, super-G and giant slalom season titles.
"Of course when you are in the start you just want to try to give your best and try to win everything you can win," said the Swiss star, who did plenty of winning this season with eight triumphs in three disciplines in a spectacular campaign.
"But in the end I'm really happy about the season — altogether, I can't really complain."
Lost in the drama surrounding Huetter, Gut-Behrami and the crystal globe was that Slovenian veteran Stuhec almost won the race.
As the fourth-last starter in the field, the 33-year-old turned back the clock to lead Huetter at the final intermediate split but took a wide line shortly afterwards and just missed out on what would have been her first win of a difficult season.
"I'm really, really relieved," said Stuhec, who reached her first podium of the campaign. "It hasn't been my best season so far, I was struggling quite a lot. It didn't really come together as it should, so it was quite tough sometimes."
One racer before Stuhec, Delago also threatened to disrupt the celebrations and crossed the line in second place, breaking up the provisional all-Austrian podium, before being bumped to third by Stuhec.
In the end, Delago made the podium by the smallest margin measured in ski racing, one hundredth of a second, over Ager, who enjoyed the best of the conditions with bib No. 2 and set the early pace.
Delago's teammate Federica Brignone (ITA) finished ninth to cap off a stunning season in which she won six races and finished second to Gut-Behrami in the overall, super-G and giant slalom standings.
"Everything was such a gift this year," Brignone said. "I surprised myself this year and I'm really proud."
In her final race, retiring Norwegian great Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR) skied cautiously and was the slowest of the finishers in 20th place.
The 31-year-old ends her decorated career with four World Cup wins, including a downhill triumph this season in Cortina d'Ampezzo, and four Olympic and world championship medals.
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