Ski: Brignone takes advantage for the big crystal globe

Winner of the Crans Montana combined, the Italian Federica Brignone took control of the World Cup in the absence of Mikaela Shiffrin, and clearly places herself as a contender for the big crystal globe. Italy has provided one of the greatest skiers of all time with Deborah Compagnoni, triple Olympic champion in three different editions of the Olympic Games - at Albertville 1992 (super G), Lillehammer 1994 (giant) and Nagano 1998 (giant) - and triple world champion. But the supreme reward of alpine skiing, the big crystal globe for the first in the general classification of the World Cup, has never fallen into the hands of the Transalpines, less versatile than the Austrians, the Swiss or the Americans.

At 29, Federica Brignone is entering the last quarter of the season in a strong position to fill this void. Sunday in Crans Montana, in the Swiss Valais, Brignone made the perfect move: a super G mastered and buckled in the lead with a half-second lead over his Slovak rival Petra Vlhova, then a slalom skied without major fault. On the other hand, Vlhova straddled slalom, her specialty, when she had practically lagged behind Brignone. "I feel a bit lucky today, but it was a good fight and I built my race on the super G," said the Italian.

At home next week

Result: a victory, the 15th of his career (including four in combined at Crans Montana), and a hundred points to grab the head of the general classification of the World Cup, with 73 points ahead of the American Mikaela Shiffrin, who has been off the slopes for several weeks following the sudden death of her father Jeff (65) on February 3. And on Vlhova, the advantage even amounts to 159 points. A nice mattress, even if with three slaloms on the program for the last eleven races, the Slovak has not said her last word.

"It represents a lot and not much at the same time, because it is not finished, there are still so many races," said Brignone, impatient to be at home next week at La Thuile. A track where she recently trained and which is located only about twenty kilometers from her place of residence in La Salle in the Aosta Valley. “I want to have my best weekend. There will be all my friends, my whole valley who will come to see me. It's going to be great, and quite stressful on the other hand, "added the Milanese. With a super G and a handset, a new duel with Vlhova is expected, with an unknown size: Will Shiffrin be back? For the moment no date has been set. Its last race dates back to January 26, a victory in super G in Bansko (Bulgaria).

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• World Cup standings