Alice Robinson, hailing from New Zealand, achieved a historic World Cup giant slalom triumph at Copper Mountain in Colorado over the weekend. Her remarkable fifth career victory, clocking in at one minute 58.91 seconds over two runs, cements her status as the most successful non-European or North American female World Cup champion, as confirmed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation. This win also breaks the tie she held with compatriot Claudia Riegler for the same accolade.
Expressing her pride in representing New Zealand in a sport predominantly dominated by North American and European athletes, Robinson highlighted the significance of her achievement. Leading by 29-100ths of a second after the initial run, Robinson maintained her edge with an outstanding second run on the challenging course set at an elevation of 3,000 meters (9,850 feet) in Colorado. Julia Scheib of Austria secured the second position with a time of 1:59.87, followed by Louise Stjernesund of Norway at 1:59.99 on the podium.
Despite Robinson’s success, Canadian contenders faced challenges at the event, failing to break into the top 10. Valérie Grenier from Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, who started strong in sixth place after her first run, ended up in 13th place with a time of 2:00.98. Grenier expressed disappointment with her performance, citing her strong training leading up to the race and her aspirations for better results.
Another Canadian, Britt Richardson from Canmore, Alberta, finished 16th after being in the 10th spot following the initial run, marking her 11th top-20 finish. Unfortunately, three Canadian participants did not complete the event, including Arianne Forget from Saint-Jérôme, Quebec, Justine Lamontagne from St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Quebec, and Cassidy Gray from Panorama, British Columbia.
Looking ahead, Mont-Tremblant is set to host consecutive women’s World Cup giant slaloms on December 6-7, providing another opportunity for these athletes to showcase their skills on the international stage.