Marta Bassino wins World Cup Giant Slalom in Killington, USA
By Mark Ashenden
Last Updated: 01/12/19 3:24pm
Marta Bassino won her first ever World Cup event after dominating the slopes of Killington in the Giant Slalom on Saturday.
It was the perfect response for the Italian Sky Sports Scholar to a lacklustre showing in the season's opener in Austria earlier in November.
After four previous third-place finishes on the World Cup circuit, Bassino sealed top spot on the podium in America by retaining her first-run lead to beat her compatriot Federica Brignone by 0.26 seconds.
Three-time defending overall World Cup champion and local favourite Mikaela Shiffrin, with 61 World Cup wins, had to settle for third.
Bassino said: "It's like a dream. I have been chasing this result for a long time and after years of commitment, hard training and passion I'm exactly where I always aimed at!
"I managed to achieve two perfect runs. After the first one I had a super feeling on my skis and I realised I could make it.
"I tried to focus just on myself and to ski like I know how. Then I saw the green light and I thought, Wow!
"At the start of the second run I really focused on some technical tips without thinking too much about my situation and I fulfilled my dream!
"I hope this can be a turning point for my career. I knew I had a result like this in me, I just needed a spark to transform what I do every day into gold.
"Now I just want to continue to build my season brick by brick and I really can't wait for the next race."
