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Earlier today Sofia Goggia picked up where she left off in Lake Louise.
The Italian ski racer’s win today, Friday December 2nd, in the season-opening women’s World Cup downhill was her fourth straight victory at the Banff National Park resort, including her sweep last year. In 2021 Italian became just the third woman to sweep all three races in a Lake Louise World Cup.
“I’m super-happy with the outcome and result but I’m still not happy with my performance because I think I was a bit too wild and dirty today,” Goggia told The Canadian Press.
She nevertheless laid down a winning time of one minute 47.81 seconds.
Just six hundredths of a second separated first from third with reigning Olympic downhill champion Corinne Suter of Switzerland crossing the line four-hundredths back of Goggia.
Austria’s Cornelia Huetter finished third.
“I was really in tension and anxiety when they were coming down, because you never know. It is a game of hundredths with this course, which lasts three kilometres,” Goggia said.
“Winning by four hundredths of a second, what is it? It’s uncountable.”
Another downhill is scheduled for Saturday followed by Sunday’s super-G.
Goggia was just the third woman to score a Lake Louise hat trick last season after Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. (2015, 2012, 2011) and Germany’s Katja Seizinger (1997).
After winning four of the first five women’s downhills in 2021-22, Goggia crashed in a super-G in Cortina, Italy, just two weeks out from the Olympic Games.
Despite leg and knee injuries, the 30-year-old earned silver in Beijing’s downhill behind Suter, who finished second to Goggia in the overall downhill last season.
“We have to push each other to the limit and I’m excited for tomorrow,” Suter said Friday.
“Two or three little mistakes I made today, but I think when you go fast, it happens and it is normal.”
Marie-Michele Gagnon of Lac Etechmin, Quebec, was disappointed with her 24th place finish, she was the top Canadian Racer.
Ski the World!
Source: The Canadian Press
