Swiss racer Malorie Blanc claimed her first World Cup victory in the women's super-G in Crans-Montana on January 31, 2026, edging out Italy's Sofia Goggia by 0.18 seconds while American Lindsey Vonn sat out after injuring her left knee in a crash the previous day. The event, the last before the Milano-Cortina Olympics, unfolded under sunny skies following Friday's downhill cancellation due to poor weather. The race carried a somber tone in remembrance of a New Year's Day fire that killed 40 people in the resort.
The super-G on the Mont Lachaux course marked a triumphant moment for 22-year-old Malorie Blanc of Ayent, Switzerland, just 20 minutes from Crans-Montana. Starting 17th, Blanc clocked 1:17.34 to secure the win, her second World Cup podium after a second-place downhill finish in St. Anton a year earlier. She follows junior world titles in super-G and team combined from 2024. "I am so happy that I could deliver this show, it's really a gift for the people and their support," Blanc said, conducting the crowd's cheers like an orchestra.
Italy's Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, finished second in 1:17.52, extending her super-G standings lead to 60 points over New Zealand's Alice Robinson, who placed sixth. Goggia wore a black armband in mourning and noted the emotional weight: "The thought of that drama has accompanied me throughout this month." Her team had visited the fire site earlier in the week to lay flowers.
American Breezy Johnson took third at 0.36 seconds back, earning her first super-G podium after eight in downhill and a 2025 world downhill title. "I've been working on it for a really long time. I respect super-G, I think it's the hardest event," Johnson said, boosting her Olympic super-G qualification hopes as Vonn dropped to third in standings, 90 points behind Goggia.
Friday's downhill was halted after Vonn's crash as the third of six early starters, amid worsening snowfall; she was airlifted for checks and skipped Saturday's race. Other incidents included Italy's Laura Pirovano missing a gate while leading, Germany's Emma Aicher falling but finishing uninjured, and France's Laura Gauche crashing post-finish yet walking away.
The event, toned down without usual festivities, featured mourning signs reading "Our thoughts are with you." It followed a tragic bar fire on New Year's Day that killed 40 and injured 116. Blanc, who tore her ACL at the same venue in 2024, called the win a chance for positive memories. A men's downhill followed on Sunday as the final pre-Olympic World Cup.
