New Zealand ski racer Alice Robinson has saved her best for last with a stunning Giant Slalom victory at the World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide in Switzerland overnight.
The 19-year-old has beaten the world's best to win gold in her final race of the season.
She set down a scorchingsecond run to surge from fourth to first and claim her third career World Cup victory and first of what has been a challenging season for the young Kiwi.
"I am just so happy and relieved that I got my plan right and I just really attacked on the second run like I know I can, and I have been missing that feeling most of the season, so I am really happy," Robinson said.
Robinson sat fourth after clocking 1:11.85 in her first run. She was .70 of a second slower than Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin who was .10 of a second quicker than Italian Marta Bassino and Slovenia Meta Hrovat.
Conditions were tough for the first run held on one of the steepest courses on the circuit. It was overcast and difficult to see and Robinson who was flying on the upper sections, made a mistake with a redirect slide half-way down instead of arching and it cost her time.
However, as she did with the second run in her last World Cup race in Jasna in Slovakia two weeks ago, Robinson surged in the second run, posting the quickest time, 1:07.63, more than a second faster than Shiffrin. Her combined time of 2:19.48 saw Robinson top the podium, .28 of a second clear of the American and .48 of a second ahead of Hrovat in third.
Robinson who struggled in the early part of the season to find her best skiing with some inconsistent results, ended in the form that saw her win two World Cup races last season.
She finished fourth in the GS at last month's World Championships in Cortina in Italy and second in the World Cup race in Jasna in Slovakia a fortnight ago, and this result was coming.
"I have been working so hard this year and it's been a bit of a mission with how Covid has impacted my season being away from home for so long (She left for Europe last August) not seeing any family and I am glad the sacrifices have paid off and have some success today," Robinson said.
New Zealand's Alice Robinson speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup giant slalom, in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Photo / AP
The 19-year-old is at least four or five years younger than her major rivals and looms as a huge medal chance in Giant Slalom at the Beijing Winter Olympics next February.
She has finished the season ranked eighth in the Giant Slalom standings but has shown when she's skiing her best few skiers can match her.
1990's Kiwi star Claudia Riegler told the Herald last week Robinson has the fastest turn of any skier on the circuit, and she showed that today, powering down the course in the second run and as one commentator remarked, showed the course no respect.
New Zealand's Alice Robinson poses after winning an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Photo / AP
"Second run I just didn't want to get to the bottom and feel that I could have done more, so I just gave it everything I had and got to the bottom and it was enough, so it was a good feeling. It was a really cool run, but my fastest runs in skiing never feel amazing, it always feels a bit crazy and a bit rush, but I felt like I was pushing as hard as I could."
Riegler watched Robinson race from her home in France and described her second run as like a 'gladiator, so courageous and strong."
"When Alice is in the flow, she is by far the best. She pushes the turn to the limit to get the extra acceleration," Riegler commented.
Robinson's rise to the top has been rapid and remarkable. She won two World Cup GS races last season before Covid-19 hit, following on from the previous season where she clocked the second fastest second run at the 2019 World Championships before winning the World Junior Championships GS and finishing second in the World Cup Final that year as a 17-year-old.
Robinson will spend the next couple of weeks training in Europe before she finally returns home to take up a place in managed isolation early next month.
One of the pleasing aspects for the young Kiwi this season has been her development in Super G. She finished 10th in her final World Cup Super G race of the season a few weeks ago which was impressive considering her inexperience in the discipline and shows how quickly she is adapting to the speed events. Expect to see Robinson take another step forward in Super G next season while she will also hope to start Downhill training with a view to mastering the ultimate speed discipline as well.
"It's super exciting and I still feel I have a lot more to give and I have a long way to go to be consistent on the tour and that's my goal going forward is to bring this consistency to every race and that's my goal going forward."
