Malorie Blanc of Switzerland secured her first World Cup victory in the women's super-G race at Crans-Montana on Saturday, delighting local fans just before the Winter Olympics. The 22-year-old clocked 1:17.34, edging out Italy's Sofia Goggia by 0.18 seconds, while the United States' Breezy Johnson took third. The event followed a dramatic downhill cancellation the previous day due to Lindsey Vonn's injury.
The FIS Alpine World Cup women's super-G in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, provided a thrilling prelude to the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, set for February 6 to 22, 2026. On Saturday, under perfect conditions of bright sunshine and excellent snow, Malorie Blanc stormed to her maiden World Cup win, finishing in 1 minute 17.34 seconds. This marked her second career podium, following a second-place finish in the St. Anton downhill earlier in the month.
Italy's Sofia Goggia came second, 0.18 seconds behind, with Breezy Johnson of the United States rounding out the podium in third, 0.36 seconds off the pace, after a strong run starting with bib number 29.
Blanc expressed her joy to RTS: “I’m so happy for myself and also for the fans.” She added, “It was a crazy run. It was a bit freestyle. I knew it didn’t need a perfect run to win. But I did the job, and I’m pleased I was able to show what I can do.” The victory served as a morale boost for the town, coming one month after a deadly bar fire that killed 40 people and injured 116.
The previous day's downhill race, held in poor visibility on the same slope, was canceled after a high-profile crash involving American Lindsey Vonn. The 41-year-old, a 2010 Olympic downhill champion, lost control on a turn and skidded into the safety netting, injuring her left knee—which had undergone partial replacement in April 2024. She skied down but showed discomfort and was airlifted for medical checks. Vonn stated, “my Olympic dream is not over.” Three of the first six skiers crashed that day.
On Saturday, German Emma Aicher crashed at the same turn but emerged unscathed, as did France's Laura Gauche after hitting safety mats in the finish area.
Attention now shifts to the Olympics, with three training runs for the opening women's downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo scheduled from Thursday to Saturday, followed by the race on Sunday.
