The second day of racing in Sestriere for the Audi FIS Ski World Cup was once again marked by an extraordinary turnout, with an estimated 15,000 spectators. The atmosphere felt like attending a concert, with music, lights, and colors filling the air. The Kandahar Giovanni Alberto Agnelli Olympic slope created a magical setting, as cheers, roars, and applause accompanied the athletes’ runs.
Speaking of magic, Federica Brignone never fails to impress. Following her stunning victory in Friday’s Giant Slalom, the Italian skier pulled off an incredible comeback, moving from fourth place in the first run to first, cheered on by the roaring Sestriere crowd. Brignone beat Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami by 77 hundredths of a second, and New Zealand’s Alice Robinson by 79 hundredths. Sofia Goggia also made an impressive comeback, moving from 17th place to fourth in the second run, posting the second-best split time.
“I did everything I could to rest and recover from the flu,” said Federica Brignone. “I spent six days at home doing nothing to regain my energy. I really wanted to come to Sestriere and race well in front of the home crowd. After the World Championships, I felt like I needed to have a good race, and I’m glad I succeeded. Today, we all encountered some fog towards the end of the course, but I have to say the slope was really well-prepared by the organizers. The snow held up, and it’s a real pleasure to ski on such well-maintained tracks.”
Presenting the podium awards was skiing legend Deborah Compagnoni, who, like Alberto Tomba, returned to Sestriere on the Kandahar slope where she achieved her two-time triumph at the 1997 Alpine Ski World Cup.
The Alpine Ski World Cup in Sestriere provided the crowd with several thrilling moments: among them, Andrea Casta’s performance, “The Space Violin,” between the first and second runs, which also accompanied the jump of the Tuscania Paratroopers Carabinieri.
On Sunday, February 23, the grand finale of this three-day Ski World Cup in Sestriere will feature the Slalom event. The first run will take place at 9:30 a.m., with the second at 12:15 p.m. The Slalom event will also be broadcast live on TV, with Rai and Eurosport covering the event in Italy.