Ski World Championships, Johnson wins gold in downhill. Bad Goggia and Brignone

Saalbach, 8 February 2025 – The first big disappointment at the Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach was evident in one of the most anticipated races: the women's downhill. It was the Austrian slope, too easy and without any curves, that put all the top Italians in crisis, especially goggia, and so surprises prevail, if we want to call them that given the world plan. Breezy wins Johnson, never victorious in her career, who gives the gold to the United States ahead of Mirjam Puchner, silver for Austria, and the usual Ester Ledecka, that what matters is there. The best Italian is Nicol Delago, eighth, while Goggia, outside the top ten, takes almost two seconds with Brignone who limited the damage with ninth place at over a second. What a shame.  

Peculiar Track, Italians in Crisis. Johnson Wins

Fairly easy slope in Saalbach, there are no particular technical areas and you need to put the ski flat and create speed. The undulations need to be tamed, but it is a descent for skiers who are smooth and have many seconds in an aerodynamic position. Only in the final part are there a couple of curves to manage, fundamental for gaining speed towards the finish, but nothing that can decide the race which instead dances on the delicacy with which the ski is made to run. There is no point in hiding, the track penalizes the Italians, all specialists in the technique, with the exception of Delago, which is the best in smoothness. There is not a single chance and in fact Breezy is the one who takes it Johnson, who has never won in the World Cup, but on a track like this she was among the favorites. This shows the peculiarity of Saalbach. Gold therefore to the United States with Johnson who triumphs progressively, leaving something in the upper part but accelerating in the last three sectors, especially in the fourth which gives her the victory in 1'41”29, with just 15 hundredths on Mirjam Puchner, who pays right in the intermediate quarter and leaves us the first position, and 21 on an always excellent Ester Ledecka. The Czech goes very fast in the first intermediate and stays in contention for the gold until the fifth sector, but a mistake in the only two curves of the track deprives her of an attainable success. It is still bronze. Cornelia comes close to the podium Huetter, also seriously behind in the fourth sector and in the end a wooden medal at 34 hundredths. Emma Aicher, who went down with 30, is scary, and is 30 hundredths ahead in the first two sectors, but loses ground in the second part of the track and closes sixth at 48 hundredths. As mentioned, there is no sign of the top Italians. goggia she doesn't find rhythm, aggression and speed on an unsuitable track and falls 1”97 behind. Perhaps never in her career has Sofia 'got' so much without serious errors. Not even Brignone finds the curves she needs under her feet and is 1”19 behind the winner. The best, therefore, is Nicol Delago, or rather the one who among the Italians makes the ski slide best, but it is not enough because the 76 hundredths of delay, almost all paid in the central sectors, relegates her to eighth position behind Lauren Maguey and Corinne Suter. It's not a good day either Pirovano, technical specialist, out of the top ten with a delay of 1”69. The too easy track also puts Lara in difficulty good Behrami, another disappointed big, who goes out halfway on the track due to a bump. Lindsey Vonn, limited by the fall in super g and by the cold, closes with a hundredth better than Goggia. Sunday closes the first week of the world championships with the men's free.

Women's Downhill Ranking

1 Johnson 1'41”29 2 Puchner +0.15 3 Ledecka +0.21 4 Huetter +0.34 5 Macuga +0.38 6 Aicher +0.48 7 Suter +0.62 8 Delago +0.76 9 Venier +0.99 10 Brignone +1.19