Goggia celebrates magnificent seven in Val D'Isere downhill
Val-d'Isère (France) (AFP) – Italy's Sofia Goggia took the lead in the World Cup overall standings after extending her winning run in the downhill to seven in taking the honours at Val d'Isere on Saturday.
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The 29-year-old Olympic downhill champion produced a superb second half of the race to seal victory edging Breezy Johnson of the United States by 27 hundredths of a second.
Austrian Mirjam Puchner finished third 91 hundredths off the pace.
"I had so much pressure on me today," Goggia told Rai Sport.
"I tried to hide it but I felt it, because here there was so much competition and so little margin for error.
"I had to push myself beyond my usual limits. I have skied better in the past but I put my heart into it."
Johnson was delighted with her performance although at one point she thought she could bring Goggia's superb run to an end.
"I really thought I could catch Goggia, even if she is skiing phenomenally at the moment," said Johnson.
"I believe she knows that it is going to be a real battle and that she has to produce her best skiing every day.
"If she skips a beat then I hope I will be there to benefit," added the 25-year-old smiling.
Goggia's victory took her to 535 points in the overall standings, 10 points ahead of American star Mikaela Shiffrin -- the latter did not compete in the downhill but they will renew rivalry in the Super-G on Sunday.
One of Goggia's main rivals Swiss Lara Gut-Behrami was absent due to testing positive for Covid-19.
The 30-year-old will miss the rest of the weekend and the two giant slaloms at the French resort of Courchevel on Tuesday and Wednesday.
© 2021 AFP