Brignone beats Shiffrin at World Cup GS for 1st career win (The Associated Press)
Federica Brignone earned her maiden World Cup win Saturday, ending a nearly eight-year wait by the Italian women’s team for a giant slalom triumph. In the season-opening race on a sun-soaked Rettenbach glacier, Brignone held on to a commanding first-run lead to beat last year’s winner Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States by 0.85 seconds. ”I can’t really believe what’s happening,” said the Italian, who finished in an aggregate time of 2 minutes, 24.27 seconds for her first victory in 99 World Cup starts after seven previous podium places.