Swiss women less dependent on Gut-Behrami

After a rather sober start to the season in Sölden, some ski fans are sounding the alarm: What if Gut-Behrami doesn't deliver? Now it's clear that other Swiss women can give birth too.

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End of October in Sölden: Camille Rast is Switzerland's best female athlete, ranking 12th in the giant slalom at the beginning of the season. Michelle Gisin (22nd), Wendy Holdener (25th) and Simone Wild (28th) were unconvincing. Laura Gut-Behrami did not compete as she lacked confidence after three weeks without training. The headline already read: “Swiss ski women face a dreary winter.”

This impression was understandable at the time and even statistically verifiable. Before the winter came, Gut-Behrami had won 37% of the total points in the Women's World Cup in Switzerland. If the Ticino woman no longer participates in the competition, or even decides to quit on her own initiative, the Swiss ski team will certainly miss out on a lot.

But Levy and Gurgel's two slaloms have proven that Swiss women's skiing is more than just Lara Gut-Behrami. Camille Rast finished fifth in Finland a week ago and took a long-awaited podium last Saturday in Austria. Wendy Holdener showed at Gurgl that she can once again become one of the world's top slalom athletes after her difficulties last year. Mélanie Meillard once again maintained good consistency, finishing seventh and tenth.

Of course, these are “just” two turns. However, these games have fueled optimism about the season. Holdner, Rust and Maillard will be guaranteed points in the remaining slalom races, with eight races remaining on the program. Additionally, the trio should be further motivated by a positive result in the giant slalom.

There are still some question marks in terms of speed, as many of the players who performed well last season suffered serious injuries. Corinne Suter and Joana Hählen suffered cruciate ligament injuries. Jasmine Flury suffered cartilage damage in her knees. While Harlan was able to attend training camp in Ushuaia, Argentina, Flury and Suter will need a little more patience. The pair didn't resume skiing until late summer. Suter hopes to compete in the speed opener at Beaver Creek in mid-December, but Flury is still not sure if that's possible.

How is Corinne Suter doing after her knee injury?Image: trapezoid

Speed ​​phenom Delia Durrell is expected to have a breakout season. In addition to all these riders, Swiss-Ski also has Michelle Gisin, who can actually finish on the podium in all four events.

Of course, Swiss-Ski still has high hopes for Lara Gut-Behrami. The 33-year-old started working on his fitness after missing the race in Solden and flew to Cope Mountain in Colorado last week to train in the downhill and super-G. She plans to start racing in the giant slalom next weekend in Killington.

One thing is clear: If Switzerland is to win its fourth national World Cup title in the past five years, the women's team will need plenty of points, too. There are plenty of signs that this year everything no longer depends on Laura Gut-Behrami.