Swiss Gut-Behrami wins women's Olympic super-G
Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami added Olympic super-G gold to her world title at the Beijing Games on Friday as a relieved Mikaela Shiffrin finished ninth after flunking her first two events.
The 30-year-old Gut-Behrami, who has already won giant slalom bronze at these Games, timed 1min 13.51sec for victory and the first Olympic gold medal of her career.
Austrian Mirjam Puchner took silver 0.22sec behind while another Swiss, 2018 Olympic combined gold medallist Michelle Gisin, claimed bronze.
"I had no strategy at all," Gut-Behrami said. "I just tried to ski.
"I love super-G, I told myself it's not a different course to lots I have skied before."
Shiffrin, a double gold medallist in previous Games, struggled between the first two intermediaries and eventually came racing through the finish line 0.79sec off winner Gut-Behrami's pace.
It was the first time the US ski star had finished a race at these Games after she produced two unusual mistakes in the slalom and giant slalom this week, skiing out early in both.
"There was nothing sad about today, it’s really solid skiing and everything was pretty much on point," said an upbeat Shiffrin, one of the biggest names at the Games.
"I didn’t think there was a big chance coming in to win or even medal in this race against women who have been skiing super-G all season on top form, top level, and came here especially for this.
"I skied strong and it’s a really big relief to be here now in the finish... that’s really nice for my heart to know that it’s not totally abandoning everything I know about the sport."
Reigning super-G champion Ester Ledecka, the cross-code star who successfully defended her snowboard parallel giant slalom title on Tuesday, came fifth, just behind Austrian Tamara Tippler.
