Italy’s skiing dreams with Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia

Ad Are the first run is colored blue with Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia

Skiing Italy is crossing its fingers and dreaming of a picture-perfect Saturday: the first run of the women’s giant slalom in Are, Sweden, in fact ended with Federica Brignone in first place and Sofia Goggia in second, with the two national teammates (who started first and 11th, respectively) divided by 34 hundredths of a second.

The second fraction will not be easy, however: behind the two Azzurri are in fact the Norwegian Thea Louise Stjernesund at 0"36 from Brignone, the young Albanian national (born in Italy) Lara Colturi at 0"51 and New Zealand’s Alice Robinson at 0"65. Over 70 cents behind other tough customers such as Sara Hector, Zrinka Ljutic and Valerie Grenier.

In addition to Brignone and Goggia, there will also be another Italian in the second run: she is Roberta Melesi, who finished with the 27th time at 2"27 from the Valle d’Aosta. Out of the top 30, however, Elisa Platinoand Ilaria Ghisalberti, respectively thirty-sixth at 2"69 and forty-seventh at 3"74.

The other blue athletes entered in the race did not finish: disappointment, in particular, for Marta Bassino, who was disqualified for cutting a gate, while Asia Zenere and Lara Della Mea were unable to finish their event, slipping off the course and thus ending their participation in the race early.