Brem takes step towards giant slalom title

Austria’s Eva-Maria Brem won the women’s World Cup giant slalom yesterday to move a step closer to the season’s title in the discipline. Switzerland’s Lara Gut meanwhile took the lead in the overall World Cup standings after finishing fourth in Jasna, Slovakia. Brem posted a combined time of 2 minutes 30.60 seconds for the two runs, 0.27 seconds ahead of Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg, now her only rival for the giant slalom title. Federica Brignone of Italy was third, 0.52 seconds behind Brem, who earned a second win of the season and the third of her career. Brem has a lead of 52 points over Rebensburg in the giant slalom standings, meaning a fourth place in the last giant slalom of the season, in St Moritz, Switzerland on March 20, will give the 27-year-old a first crystal globe. Rebensburg made a great effort on the second run after placing 12th on the first leg, but it was just not enough to catch first-leg leader Brem. “It’s a great relief,” Brem said. “In the second run I did what I had to do, no more no less.” Rebensburg said: “It’s a bit of a shame that the first run didn’t quite come together. Eva is the deserved winner. I am looking forward now to St Moritz.” Gut is now well placed to win a first overall title, advancing to 1,257 points at the top of the standings. Lindsey Vonn of the United States, on 1,235 points, is now out of the running following a knee fracture, while Rebensburg is 263 points adrift of Gut on 994. The women’s World Cup continues in Lenzerheide, Switzerland with a super-g on Saturday followed by a combined on Sunday. Four races follow in the season’s finale in St Moritz between March 16 and 20.WOMEN’S WORLD CUP GIANT SLALOM RESULTS 1. Eva-Maria Brem (AUT) 2min 30.60sec (1:15.34 + 1:15.26) 2. Viktoria Rebensburg (GER) 2:30.87 (1:17.30 + 1:13.57) 3. Federica Brignone (ITA) 2:31.12 (1:16.45 + 1:14.67) 4. Lara Gut (SUI) 2:31.39 (1:16.08 + 1:15.31) 5.Marta Bassino (ITA) 2:31.89 (1:17.14 + 1:14.75) 6. Marie-Michele Gagnon (CAN) 2:31.92 (1:17.67 + 1:14.25) 7. Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR) 2:32.01 (1:17.81 + 1:14.20) 8. Stephanie Brunner (AUT) 2:32.05 (1:17.23 + 1:14.82) 9. Irene Curtoni (ITA) 2:32.11 (1:17.41 + 1:14.70) 10. Frida Hansdotter (SWE) 2:32.12 (1:16.99 + 1:15.13) 11. Ana Drev (SLO) 2:32.19 (1:17.01 + 1:15.18) 12. Manuela Moelgg (ITA) 2:32.37 (1:17.24 + 1:15.13) 13. Maria Pietilae-Holmner (SWE) 2:32.41 (1:17.67 + 1:14.74) 14. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) 2:32.44 (1:17.25 + 1:15.19) 15. Tina Weirather (LIE) 2:32.54 (1:17.68 + 1:14.86)