"This track of Crans montana is magical for me." On the Sunday that still crowns women's blue skiing, Federica Brignone writes another feat of a season so far memorable. The Aosta Valley champion makes the best time also in the special slalom test after the one in superG and so, with a very solid performance, Fede - as her companions call her - won the combined Crans Montana in 1.56.24. It is his fourth consecutive success here, on this track, from 2017 to today and it is splendid poker. Not enough, with 1,298 points Brignone is now in command of the general classification of the World Cup having overtaken the American Mikaelal Shiffrin, also this time absent (he no longer competed after the tragic death of his father) and remains in the ranking at an altitude of 1,225. Franziska Gritsch from Austria came second in 1.57.16 and Ester Ledecka from Czech came in 1.58.06.
For Italy in the ranking there is then only Laura Pirovano 10 / O in 2.00.52, while Elena Curtoni and Nadia Delago ended up, struggling with the problems of a track with snow now 'inert' for the many treatments with salt that became necessary for the heat of these days. But the most illustrious 'victim' was the Slovak Petra Vlhova, second after the combined and excellent slalomist, the only one that Federica could worry about: but she ended up riding. For Brignone it is the 5 / o seasonal success, the 15 / o in career and the 92 / o of the blue ski women. Now he only has one to match the legendary Deborah Compagnoni. Brignone built the first success in the super-G "just attacking", as she says, and making a masterpiece on a terrible right-hand centrifugal curve that created problems for all and eliminated the blue Marta Bassino who also traveled faster than Brignone. Then there was the masterpiece of slalom, fearlessly down, elegant and safe. Thus came the moment of glory for Federica, her companions and the whole team. A party announced for Brignone since not only mom Ninna, the former blue of the pink avalanche, and her brother Davide but also grandmother Adriana were waiting for him at the finish. They too knew that Crans' is a magical track for Federica. And it is no coincidence that Alberto Tomba, who in 1987 won his first world medal and in 1998 his 50th and last race before retiring from competition, was among the first to call Federica to congratulate him.
The Women's World Cup now passes in Italy, in the Aosta Valley, in La Thuile, practically at the Brignone home. Saturday and Sunday there will be a super-G and the last combined of the season with the assignment of the relative cup. These are the first two of the 11 races that are still missing at the end of the season. It is inevitable to think of the world cup with Brignone in the lead with 1,298 points and Shiffrin second with 1,225, but absent since 2 February for the death of his father, while not far away is Vlhova, third with 1,139. No news has yet filtered on Shiffrin's future from the US and there is absolute uncertainty. In the World Cup, the sudden absences of a champion are, moreover, almost normal, see the recent cases of the Azzurri Dominik Paris and Sofia Goggia, who have had to bid farewell to the most immediate dreams of glory. Typically they are absences from physical injuries that require different healing times. Shiffrin was hit instead not in the physical but in the affections, with a psychological pain that in turn needs time to heal. However Federica for now does not want to do calculations or think about the rankings. "Now I am thinking only of the next race weekend at my house. First I rest and then I want to do them well in front of my audience" he announced quietly. With 200 points after two wins, Federica can already win the combined world cup next Sunday.
