Ester Ledecka wins women's Super-G glory in Val D'Isere, Alexis Pinturault triumphs on the Gran Risa

ByEurosport

Updated 20/12/2020 at 14:24 GMT

Ester Ledecka and Alexis Pinturault were the big winners on the day in alpine skiing. Ledecka won the World Cup Super-G at Val d’Isere, while Alexis Pinturault landed the Giant Slalom on the Gran Risa. The win meant he was the first Frenchman to win on the fabled hill at Alta Badia since 2001.

Ester Ledecka secured her first win in World Cup Super-G competition when taking top spot at Val d’Isere, while Alexis Pinturault secured his first win on the fabled Gran Risa to win the men's Giant Slalom at Alta Badia.

Ledecka made history at the 2018 Olympics when winning the Super-G in alpine skiing and the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding, becoming the first person to win two gold medals at the same Winter Olympics using two different types of equipment.

At Val D’Isere on Sunday, Ledecka produced a supreme display to post a time of 1:24.64 - 0.03 ahead of Corinne Suter of Switzerland, who was also runner-up to Sofia Goggia in the Downhill discipline on Saturday.

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The win is her second in alpine skiing World Cup competition, following up her victory in the downhill at Lake Louise in Canada last year.

‘Absolutely motoring!’ – Ledecka earns first Super-G World Cup win at Val d’Isere

Federica Brignone of Italy completed the podium, 0.35 seconds adrift of the Ledecka. Goggia came home in seventh with a time of 1:25.49.

The podium for Brignone sees her move up to fourth in the overall standings on 308 points, with Petra Vlhova still leading the way on 465 following her trio of wins at the start of the season.

Switzerland's Michelle Gisin is second on 327 while Marta Bassino rounds out the top three, four points further back.

Suter's podium in France means her Super G and downhill title defences have started well with the 26-year-old joint first in the standings of the latter and second in the former.

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At Alta Badia, Pinturault finally conquered the Gran Risa - becoming the first Frenchman to do so since 2001 - when pipping Atle Lie McGrath to glory.

Pinturault dominated the first run and he was able to keep it together on the second to take victory by 0.07 seconds - in a combined time of 2:27.19.

‘Finally!’ - Pinturault conquers fabled Gran Risa

In securing his 31st World Cup win, Pinturault overcame a huge mistake in the middle of his second run which cost him time and speed but he was able to recover to pip Norway’s McGrath.

“It feels really great,” Pinturault said on Eurosport. “It is really special. The others skied well, so it was close but it is a special day as it is on the Gran Risa.”

Switzerland’s Justin Murisier came from a long way back in his first run to complete the podium.

The 100 points secured lifted Pinturault to the top of the overall standings on 376, but he is only one point clear of Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Marco Odermatt is third on 340.

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