Kvitfjell, Norway – Laura Pirovanova of Italy secured the coveted World Cup downhill title on Thursday, capping off a stellar season with a victory in the final race at Kvitfjell. While the day belonged to Pirovanova, Czech star Ester Ledecká finished ninth in the race and 14th overall in the downhill standings, a slight improvement from her 15th-place finish last season.
Pirovanova, 28, edged out Olympic champion Breezy Johnson of the United States by a mere 0.15 seconds, with Germany’s Kira Weidle-Winkelmann rounding out the podium in third, 0.25 seconds back. The Italian’s triumph marked a changing of the guard in the downhill discipline, succeeding compatriot Federica Brignone, whose season was hampered by a significant leg injury sustained at the end of the previous year. Brignone, after a brief return highlighted by two gold medals at the Olympic Games in super-G and giant slalom, concluded her season.
Ledecká, starting fourth, initially set the pace, leading after a strong run. She bested the then-leading time of Elena Curtoniov by a full 1.30 seconds. However, eight subsequent racers ultimately surpassed her, leaving her to finish ninth, 0.81 seconds behind Pirovanova. Despite not reaching the podium, Ledecká’s consistent performance throughout the season allowed her to climb one spot in the overall downhill standings compared to the previous year, reaching 14th place. Her career best remains second place, achieved in 2020.
Pirovanova’s Championship Run
The victory wasn’t just about the race itself; it cemented Pirovanova’s dominance in the downhill discipline. She finished the season with 536 points, comfortably ahead of Emma Aicher of Germany, who finished second with 453 points. Johnson secured third place with 413 points. Aicher, also competing for overall World Cup points with Mikaela Shiffrin, finished fifth in the race but couldn’t dethrone Pirovanova from the top of the downhill standings, trailing by 83 points.
The result also tightened the race for the overall World Cup title. Shiffrin, who did not compete in the downhill event, saw her lead over Aicher reduced to 95 points with three races remaining in the season. The overall standings now see Shiffrin leading with 1286 points, followed by Aicher with 1191, and Rast of Switzerland with 989.
Paris Secures Men’s Downhill Victory
In the men’s downhill race, Italy’s Dominik Paris claimed victory, defeating Olympic champion Franz von Allmen of Switzerland by 0.19 seconds. This marked Paris’s 20th World Cup downhill win. Marco Odermatt, already assured of the downhill discipline title and the overall World Cup lead, finished seventh, marking his worst result of the season.
Paris’s winning time of 1:45.37 on the Olympiabakken course secured him his 25th career triumph and propelled him to third place in the final downhill standings, behind Odermatt and von Allmen. He displaced Vincent Kriechmayr of Austria from the podium. Odermatt, collecting his third consecutive slight crystal globe for downhill, demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout the season, winning four races, finishing on the podium in three others, and placing fourth in one.
Final Standings and Looking Ahead
The final downhill standings saw Odermatt leading with 706 points, followed by von Allmen with 515, and Paris with 441. Czech racer Zabystřan finished 56th with 5 points.
The overall World Cup standings after 33 of 36 races indicate Odermatt in the lead with 1626 points, followed by Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil with 958, and McGrath with 844. Zabystřan currently sits in 43rd place with 168 points.
The women’s overall standings see Shiffrin leading with 1286 points, Aicher in second with 1191, and Rast in third with 989. Ledecká is currently 17th with 453 points, while Dubovská is 93rd with 34 points.
The World Cup season continues with three remaining races, promising a thrilling conclusion to the competition. Fans can follow the action and uncover official updates on the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup website.
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