Robinson wins first alpine race of the 2024 Winter Games NZ
Alice Robinson has continued her incredible run of podiums, taking the win at the Winter Games NZ FIS Australia New Zealand Cup (ANC) Giant Slalom race.
The Queenstown 22-year-old says: “I feel like I skied smart and solid for the conditions. It’s so nice to race at home at Coronet Peak and have my friends and family here. I enjoy having this pre-season warm up race, it’s good to go through the motions and it’s special to be at home and sleep in my own bed!”
Some 34 athletes representing 14 nations competed on The Hurdle on Wednesday at Coronet Peak. The Giant Slalom course differed slightly from previous editions of Winter Games NZ, with the athletes starting higher up at the top of the Coronet Express on the M1, with incredible views across the Wakatipu Basin from the start gate.
This higher start meant the athletes came in at pace to the big left-hand bend that launched them onto the formidable Hurdle, widely recognised as one of the steepest GS slopes in the Southern Hemisphere.
Robinson, in bib 4, attacked the course and put down a blistering first run, taking the run one lead by -0.92. Australia’s Madison Hoffman was sitting in second place with 17-year-old Romy Ertl of Germany in third.
Robinson made quick work of run two, charging down the course and extending her lead, taking the win by -1.67 seconds. Ertl put her foot on the gas for her second run, skiing into second place overall, with Hoffman rounding out the podium in third.
Robinson was impressed with the competition, particularly from Ertl who put the pressure on the 10-time World Cup podium finisher.
The race had a star-studded list of forerunners, including 2023 FIS Slalom crystal globe winner Norwegian-Brazilian ski racer Lucas Braathen. Tommy Ford and River Ramadus of the USA also foreran the course, alongside New Zealand’s Toby Jackson.
The Coronet Peak race crew worked exceptionally hard preparing the course to ensure the best possible surface for the women. The men were originally scheduled to race Wednesday, but with challenging snow conditions pushing out the schedule after the women’s run one, the priority was to get the women’s second run away to complete the race and get a result.
The FIS Australia New Zealand Cup (ANC) Giant Slalom race, that was scheduled to be held today (29 August) on The Hurdle at Coronet Peak, has been postponed.
Postponement date is TBC.
Coronet Peak is closed today due to overnight weather resulting in the snowpack needing time to recover and dry out.
