It was a memorable morning for Italian alpine skiing in Val di Fassa, where the women’s Super-G delivered a thrilling double podium for the home team. Elena Curtoni claimed victory with a commanding run, while Asja Zenere produced the performance of her career to finish third.
Starting with bib number eight, Curtoni skied an almost flawless race and stopped the clock at 1:29.07, a time none of her rivals managed to beat. Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie finished second, 26 hundredths of a second behind.
For much of the race, the podium appeared settled. France’s Romane Miradoli and New Zealand’s Alice Robinson were tied for third at 0.34 seconds back, and it looked as though the standings would remain unchanged.
But the race took an unexpected turn when Asja Zenere, wearing bib 33, launched down the course. The 29-year-old from Bassano del Grappa had never finished higher than 20th in a Super-G. This time, however, she delivered a near-perfect run, crossing the line in 1:29.34 to claim third place - missing second by just a single hundredth.
It was the first World Cup podium of her career and a breakthrough result that capped a remarkable race for Italy.
Laura Pirovano also delivered a strong performance, finishing eighth at +0.46 seconds. Sofia Goggia, however, had a more difficult race and ended ninth at +0.64, losing valuable points in the discipline standings.
After the race, Curtoni reflected on the emotional significance of the victory.
“The last few years have been really tough,” she said. “I kept believing because I knew deep down that I still had something to give. But when podiums don’t come, you start asking yourself questions. Today something finally clicked — I found that extra bit of confidence I’d been searching for.”