Breezy Johnson Pipped For Gold At World Cup Finals As Aicher Puts Pressure On Shiffrin

Italy’s Laura Pirovano claimed nan women’s downhill World Cup title pinch triumph successful Lillehammer connected Saturday, arsenic Emma Aicher closed nan spread connected leader Mikaela Shiffrin successful nan wide standings.

The 28-year-old Pirovano had ne'er moreover vanished connected a World Cup podium until earlier this month.

But her 3rd successive downhill win, beating Breezy Johnson by 0.15 seconds, delivered nan crystal globe successful a subject which was dominated earlier this play by Lindsey Vonn earlier injuries struck nan American great.

Pirovano ends nan run 83 downhill points clear of second-placed Aicher.

Kira Weidle-Winkelmann rounded disconnected nan podium up of Ariane Raedler and Aicher, who kept her hopes of a singular wide triumph alive.

The 22-year-old German, nan revelation of nan season, was 0.37 seconds slower than Pirovano successful fifth.

She will caput into nan past 3 races of nan play successful Norway 95 points down five-time wide champion Shiffrin, who is eyeing her first large crystal globe since 2023.

Weidle-Winkelmann needed her first ever World Cup triumph to person immoderate chance of snatching nan downhill globe and she group nan early gait successful bib number six.

Breezy Johnson was denied what would person been nan American’s first-ever triumph connected nan World Cup by 0.15sec connected Saturday successful Norway. Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock

She was knocked retired of apical spot, though, by Olympic golden medallist Johnson, earlier each eyes turned to Aicher.

The all-rounder, who could title each subject successful Lillehammer successful her bid to overhaul Shiffrin, could not station her 10th podium of nan play contempt gaining clip connected Johnson successful nan closing sectors.

But Aicher did negociate to accrue what could beryllium to beryllium a important 45 points connected Shiffrin successful nan wide standings up of Sunday’s super-G.

Shiffrin whitethorn compete successful that race, but successful her 2 erstwhile super-Gs this play she came 23rd astatine Val di Fassa and grounded to decorativeness successful St Moritz.

Pirovano took to nan piste knowing she would seal nan downhill title if she hit Aicher’s time.

She did moreover better, taking nan title lead pinch a daring tally to headdress a singular decorativeness to nan run pinch a 3rd consecutive downhill triumph aft her double occurrence astatine Val di Fassa earlier this month.