United States' Paula Moltzan speeds down the course during a women's giant slalom, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti

SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — Federica Brignone crowned probably the best season of her storied skiing career by finally snatching the win she's always wanted: The world championship in giant slalom.

The Italian seized the gold medal in style on Thursday by dominating both runs and winning by a massive margin of 0.90 seconds.

Alice Robinson’s silver was New Zealand’s first medal in worlds history.

Paula Moltzan was 2.62 seconds behind and took bronze for the American's first individual medal from a major event. She edged fourth-placed Thea Louise Stjernesund of Norway by one-hundredth of a second.

Britt Richardson, of Canmore, Alta., finished 10th, 3.89 seconds back of Brignone, while fellow Canadian Valerie Grenier, of St. Isidore, Ont., finished 14th.

The 21-year-old Richardson, the reigning junior world champion, sat in 18th place after the first run but delivered a flying second run — the fourth fastest of the round — that briefly put her in the leader’s chair before securing a top-10 finish.

“I’m really proud with my mindset in the second run. I’ve struggled with some back pain that has kept me off snow for the last couple of weeks and I only got in three days of training for this race,” said Richardson.

“I was physically and mentally at a low point coming into this race so to know that I can still perform at a high level feels good."

Defending champion Mikaela Shiffrin sat out the event because she said she was not ready yet to race giant slalom again following a crash in November.

‘I was always second’

“This was my dream, to be a gold medalist in GS. I have been dreaming of this moment for many, many years. I was always second,” said Brignone, who won GS silver in 2011 and 2023. “This is just one of the best days of my life.”

Holding a comprehensive lead from the first run, Brignone had a member of the Italian coaching staff put some snow inside the back of her shirt before stepping into the start gate for her final run, wearing her helmet with a tiger design.

She kept her cool charging down the Schneekristall course again with another near-flawless run.

After finishing, she covered her face with both hands when she saw she won. Then Robinson and Moltzan embraced her in the finish area.

“I had never won in giant slalom at the world championships and things get more complicated when you are in the lead after the first run. But I always tried to stay focused,” Brignone said.

“There has always been a very high level in women’s skiing, as far as my generation is concerned, then Shiffrin also arrived, the strongest of all. Achieving such a result, with all eyes on it, is really difficult, and today I am really satisfied.”

Her second medal from these worlds after silver in super-G a week ago is capping what's turning out to be the strongest of her 18 seasons on the World Cup circuit.

She leads the overall standings and could land that title for a second time after 2020; she won the first two downhills of her career last month; and she has been extending her record as the oldest race winner five times.

At 34 years, 7 months, Brignone has also become the oldest female medalist at the worlds. Lindsey Vonn was four months younger when she won downhill bronze in 2019.

Vonn, who came out of retirement after nearly six years at age 40 this season with a new titanium knee, doesn’t race in giant slalom anymore.

Brignone was the first Italian winner of GS gold at the worlds since Deborah Compagnoni won back-to-back titles in 1996-97.

“Deborah has always been a champion with a capital C,” Brignone said. "Today I managed to keep useless things out of my head, and this was the best thing because you can be the master of your own destiny. It was a great emotion.”

Robinson earns a New Zealand first

Robinson led the race after a strong final run, but acknowledged Brignone's dominance.

“Federica was just amazing, while I thought I had done something amazing,” Robinson said. "It’s so awesome in Alpine skiing to bring a country like New Zealand to the medal table, it’s so cool and I’m really proud and excited.”

Moltzan said she was “just happy, joyful" for her bronze. She was fourth in Tuesday's team combined with downhiller Lauren Macuga, and in the mixed team parallel event last week.

“It’s been kind of a rollercoaster of a season, with results and with emotions,” said Moltzan, whose parents were among the 11,000 spectators.

“For it all to kind of play out on the really big stage is amazing. I can’t believe I was on the right side of the hundredth today.”

Shiffrin planned to start in Saturday’s slalom. She paired with downhiller Breezy Johnson and skied the slalom portion to win the team combined event but wasn't physically ready to ski the GS.

“What I have been struggling with this past couple of weeks with GS is, when we bring in normal or, like, real conditions, a little bit harder snow, I don’t even know that I’m scared,” Shiffrin said. “I just can’t do the movements that you need to do to make a fast GS turn.”

The next event at the worlds is the men's giant slalom on Friday.

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With files from The Canadian Press

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