Kajsa Vickhoff Lie has become the first-ever Norwegian woman to win a downhill World Cup event as she beat Sofia Goggia on home snow in Kvitfjell on Saturday (4 March).
The recently crowned Super G bronze medallist set the fastest time early on and held onto her lead to claim her maiden win in the elite Alpine Sking series.
« We are so used to the (Norwegian) men winning downhills and I didn’t even know that (I am the first woman), but that’s not what I was thinking about, » Lie said after the race to FIS.
« I wanted to win the downhill, that’s been my dream and it’s also been a dream to have a home race. So to have everybody here, I wanted to give them a show and I think I can do it now! »
Speed queen Goggia finished second after crossing the finish line 0.29 seconds behind Lie. The Italian claimed her fourth downhill globe and is the first woman to win the downhill title in three successive seasons since American icon Lindsey Vonn won six in a row between 2007/08 and 2012/13.
« I’m super happy, four downhill globes is not a few and three in a row it means a lot to me, » the double Olympic medallist told FIS.
« This season was a tough one but I’ve been racing eight downhills in World Cup: I’ve won five, I’ve crashed in one and the worst result has been twice second place, so basically I’ll take it! What can I say? »
Goggia joined five women to have won this globe at least four times: Vonn (8), Annemarie Moser-Pröll (7), Renate Götschl (5), Michela Figini (4) and Katja Seizinger (4).
