A first World Cup win in Giant Slalom for Petra Vlhova was a welcome site for the Slovakian racer, especially as all the talk before the race had been of Mikaela Shiffrin looking to become the first racer to win fifteen World Cup races in a calendar year. Viktoria Rebensburg took second, rising up eight places on the second run with the fastest time and Tessa Worley took third, despite crashing after the finish line! The top five was rounded out by Stephanie Brunner and Mikaela Shiffrin.
The first run had been an extremely tight affair with the top six separated by less than two tenths of a second. Shiffrin, winner of the two racers in Courchevel just prior to Christmas, was on a roll and lead by a mere two hundredths from Brunner with Ragnhild Mowinckel in third, three hundredths behind. Spring like weather was proving to be a real leveller in term of slowing the racers down.
Come run two and it was Viktoria Rebensburg who raised her game to challenge. From tenth after the first run, the German racer, the 2010 Olympic Giant Slalom Champion in Whistler, produced a strong run that saw her take the lead. With a deficit of 0.64 on the time set by Shiffrin, Rebensburg could have been accused of a damage limitation exercise but as racer after racer challenged her time, it stood strong and she stayed in the lead.
Vlhova had had a six hundredths of a second deficit to Shiffrin but over half a second advantage on Rebensburg. By the time Vlhova crossed the line the lead had dropped to 0.13 but it was still green. Could she hold on for a podium or even better?
With Mowinckel dropping off the pace and then Brunner slipping into fourth with Shiffrin still to come, Brunner had missed yet another podium.
But with the pressure of going for the 15th win of 2018, Shiffrin lost speed in the run in to the finish and dropped to fifth. Vlhova meanwhile dropped to her knees and started to take in the momentous moment she had won her first World Cup Giant Slalom after winning four Slaloms.
There was no joy for Alex Tilley as she struggled to cope with the after effects of a niggling injury and then a cold. Tilley finished in 37th, just under half a second off the pace set by thirtieth placed Nina Haver-Loeseth who had qualified in 30th place. Tilley now has a short break to recover her form before the Kronplatz Giant Slalom on January 15. Tilley will not be racing in the slalom in Semmering.
Full results
Additional reporting by Richard Orange in Semmering