Trembling | After a big mistake in the first run, local hero Valérie Grenier recovered strongly in the second downhill, ignoring the snow and winds and finishing the giant slalom World Cup in Tremblant with a 6th placee Place with 0 s 73 ahead of the Italian Federica Brignone, who achieved the double after her victory on Saturday.
As Grenier crossed the finish line, he greeted the fans filling Place St-Bernard and sent a message of love with his hands. “It’s so nice to see so many people there all weekend. I can’t believe there were so many people. People were cheering for the Canadians and it was so heartwarming. I wanted them to know that we are extremely grateful. It’s the presence of people who make racing fun.”
A very costly mistake
Despite completing her second descent at full speed, Grenier was fully aware that her chances of a podium finish were very slim given the ever-increasing lead. “My big mistake in the first run cost me a lot and it became difficult to hope for the podium,” explained the skier from Saint-Isidore (Eastern Ontario), who was in 11th place after the first descent with 1 second and 53. The Slovakian Petra Vlhova ended up in 5th place with 0 seconds and 06 seconds ahead of Grenier. You might think that this mistake cost me a podium place, but it’s part of the sport and everyone does it.”
“In the second run I had nothing to lose and ran very well, chasing the author who finished 10th in the top 10 in his last 11 races. The wind and average visibility made me feel like I was on a spirited descent. It was crazy not seeing some doors, but I had fun.”
Race report
What does Grenier remember about her first World Cup at home when she finished 8th and 6th? “I’m proud of myself,” said the woman, who is in sixth place overall. It’s great to race at home, but the pressure is higher because you want to do well in front of the people you love who are there. It’s not easy, but I did well.”
First career double
Brignone, who was in 6th place after the first lap, 1 second 22 behind Vlhova, opened the machine and signed a total time of 2 minutes 11 seconds 95. “Because of the gap of more than a second, I tried everything and got All -Gone in.”, explained the Italian, who won her 23rd career victory, including her tenth in the giant slalom. When you make the difference in difficult conditions, it really makes a big difference in the end.”
“I am very proud of myself and very emotional because I had the courage to pursue Brignone. This is the first double of my career. I hope I have time tonight to achieve what I have achieved.”
The Italian loved her stay in Quebec. “The love story was born entirely with Quebec. At Mich’s request, I didn’t dance on the podium like I did on Saturday [Marie-Michèle Gagnon] where I practically smashed my trophy.”
Shiffrin goes with bronze
Mikaela Shiffrin, the most successful female skier in history, failed to add a win to her rich resume but was pleased with her performance. “I prefer the sun to the wind and snow, but I fought and I’m really happy with my skiing,” said the American, who has 90 World Cup victories and 143 podiums in 256 starts. I did my best under these conditions. I take one step at a time and it keeps getting better.”
The overall leader, the Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami, finished 0.33 seconds behind the winner and won the silver medal.