Direz claims shock parallel giant slalom win in Sestriere

BySportsbeat

Published 19/01/2020 at 13:28 GMT

Clara Direz secured a surprise alpine skiing World Cup victory - the first of of her career - as she came out on top in the parallel giant slalom in Sestriere, Italy.

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

The French skier overcame Austria's Eliza Moerzinger in a closely-contested final to ensure she finished at the top of the leaderboard on a day when home advantage looked to aid Italian competitors.

Marta Bassino completed the top three by triumphing in the small final to be the highest-placed Italian at the event, which also saw her compatriots Federica Brignone and Sofia Goggia finish fourth and fifth respectively.

Having qualified 16th fastest and beaten Katharina Truppe in the round of 32, Direz pulled off a huge upset by edging the all-conquering Mikaela Shiffrin in the round of 16 and took that momentum all the way to gold.

Alpine Skiing