Federica Brignone (ITA/Rossignol) expressed deep emotion on Tuesday in Sun Valley after securing her first-ever Audi FIS World Cup Giant Slalom Crystal Globe. The 34-year-old Italian racer revealed that, for the first time in her illustrious career, she crossed the finish line of a race without worrying about the clock. She knew that, no matter the time, she had already clinched the title of 2024/25 women’s Giant Slalom champion.
In the race, Brignone finished second, trailing a resurgent Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI/Head), who claimed her second World Cup Final victory in just three days. With this victory, Gut-Behrami also reached a significant milestone, becoming only the sixth female skier to achieve 100 or more World Cup podiums.
Swedish veteran Sara Hector (SWE/Head) secured third place, finishing just 0.80 seconds behind Brignone on the podium.
However, one notable skier was absent from the final standings: Alice Robinson (NZL/Salomon). The 23-year-old, who led the season standings at the start of the day, saw her hopes of securing New Zealand’s first-ever World Cup Globe disappear after a mistake in the first run, which caused her to ski out.
With Robinson out of contention, Brignone, who had finished the morning run second-fastest despite a rough and wild performance, knew she only needed to place in the top 13 to win the season title. She accomplished that goal, but not without adding some drama to the finish.