Brignon’s lead over Scheib was already 1.08 seconds, with Austrian Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) taking the lead at half-time behind fifth place. First, they wanted to analyze their performance in the second round. “I still have to adjust to bring the right intensity to the skis. “I tried to take risks, but maybe I did it wrong,” said Shiffrin, who has 97 World Cup victories. Brignone was surprised at the first place. “Unbelievable, I don’t think so.”
Scheib, 26, advanced from 14th with the second-best run time. Without the morning error of her misdirecting a target, there would have been a lot more potential. “I tried to attack and at the end I was three hundredths ahead, so at first you don’t know what that means,” Scheib said at the end of his first ORF television interview. She said after the race: “I made good use of the slopes. But when you fight you also see what’s inside. Target reached. First podium finish is super cool.”
The trend seems to be correct for Katharina Leinsberger after eighth place (+1.49). “Very nice start, it was another step up from last year. It was a solid performance, I can build on it. I showed good turns and it was fun to drive,” said the Vorlberg native. “The first podium for July – I’m very happy for you. I think there is a good reason to celebrate today.”
15,800 spectators were live on the glacier on a national holiday, and from an Austrian perspective, apart from Scheib and Leinsberger, there wasn’t much to cheer about. Stephanie Brunner fell from sixth to 14th, Francesca Gritch was 27th, and Katharinarup, Katharina Huber and Lisa Hoerhager were absent.
The defending champion in the overall World Cup did not start. Swiss Laura Good-Behrami announced she was pulling out of the tour after the tour because she “didn’t feel 100 percent right,” she tearfully said in one of her most emotional interviews. Gud-Behrami had to battle a bad fever in preparation for the race, and then had knee problems.
