Swiss skier Camille Rast clinched her first-ever victory in a World Cup giant slalom event on Saturday, dedicating her win to the victims of a tragic fire at a bar in Crans-Montana. Rast paid tribute to the families affected by the recent accident in her hometown during a post-race interview, emphasizing that the competition was in honor of them.
Hailing from Vetroz, a village near Crans-Montana, Rast’s win was a poignant moment following the devastating fire that claimed the lives of 40 people and injured over 100 individuals during a New Year’s celebration. The upcoming World Cup speed races in Crans-Montana, scheduled for Jan. 30-31 for women and Feb. 1 for men, will serve as the final events leading up to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
In the race, Paula Moltzan secured third place, finishing 0.47 seconds behind Rast, marking her second podium finish of the season. Meanwhile, Canadian skier Val Grenier placed ninth, emerging as the top Canadian competitor, trailing by 2.05 seconds.
The U.S. ski team put up a strong performance with Nina O’Brien in eighth place and Elisabeth Bocock in 14th place, matching her career-best result achieved in Sweden back in March 2023. Julia Scheib, the runner-up in the event, further solidified her lead in the giant slalom standings as her closest competitor, Alice Robinson of New Zealand, skied out in the first run for the second consecutive race.
Looking ahead, a slalom event is set to take place on the same course on Sunday, with live coverage accessible on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Notably, there are no men’s World Cup races scheduled for the weekend.