Sofia Goggia returned to her winning ways with a Downhill victory at Lake Louise today. Goggia was characteristically aggressive and risky, and the style paid off massively.
The Olympic and defending Downhill World Cup Champion grabbed an incontestable victory, in a demonstration of enormous solidity in the first Downhill of the season.
Coming down with bib number 5, Goggia attacked the Olympic racecourse and left no doubt that her time of 1:46:95 would withstand anyone’s chance to take the victory.
Goggia finished +1.47 seconds ahead of American Breezy Johnson. It's the largest margin in the last 50 years by any woman other than Lindsey Vonn and Austrian Annemarie Moser-Pröll, the two greatest female downhillers in history. Austrian Mirjam Puchner rounded the podium +1.54 behind Goggia.
The Italian finished on the podium in all six of her Downhill participation in the World Cup. Last season Goggia finished second in the first race in Val d'Isère, before recording four successive wins in Val d'Isère (2), St. Anton, and twice in Crans-Montana. She had to cut her season short in January due to an injury.
Sofia Goggia has won nine Downhills in the World Cup. The 29-year-old Goggia celebrated her twelfth World Cup victory. “I was really quick from the start. I didn't expect it, it's unbelievable", said Goggia.
The last time an Italian woman won the Lake Louise downhill in the World Cup was Elena Fanchini on 2 December 2005.
It's Breezy Johnson's fifth podium in the World Cup and the best personal result. Last season she finished in the third position 4 times in the Downhill.
It is the third time Puchner is on the podium. She won the Downhill in St. Moritz in 2016 and in the 2019 Finals in Grandvalira, Andorra.
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