Swiss skier Camille Rast clinched her maiden World Cup giant slalom victory on Saturday and dedicated her triumph to the victims of a recent fire at a bar in Crans-Montana. Rast, hailing from Vetroz near the affected area, paid tribute to the families impacted by the tragic incident during a post-race interview in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.
In a closely contested event, Rast edged out Julia Scheib of Austria by a slim margin of two-tenths. Her poignant gesture of touching the black mourning band on her arm symbolized her solidarity with the fire victims. The devastating blaze at the popular Swiss ski resort claimed the lives of 40 people and left over 100 others injured during New Year’s celebrations.
Looking ahead, Crans-Montana is gearing up to host upcoming World Cup speed races for both women and men, scheduled just before the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. American skier Paula Moltzan secured the third spot, finishing 0.47 seconds behind Rast, marking her second podium finish of the season. Meanwhile, Canadian Val Grenier finished ninth, leading the Canadian contingent, 2.05 seconds adrift from the leader.
The U.S. ski team displayed a strong performance, with Nina O’Brien securing eighth place and Elisabeth Bocock finishing 14th, matching her personal best from a previous giant slalom event. Scheib further solidified her position atop the giant slalom standings, benefitting from the mishap of her nearest rival, Alice Robinson of New Zealand, who failed to finish the race for the second time in a row.
The competition continues with a slalom event scheduled for Sunday on the same course, with live coverage accessible on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Notably, no men’s World Cup races are slated for this weekend. Fans can catch a replay of Saturday’s final run, witnessing the thrilling conclusion of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom competition in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.