Top ten for Robinson at Lienz Giant Slalom World Cup

Alice Robinson has rounded out 2023 with a ninth-place finish at the star-studded Lienz Giant Slalom World Cup in Austria overnight.

The 22-year-old Queenstowner says: "My race was okay – there were some good parts and some not so good parts, but a decent, solid result to finish off the year and I will be looking for bigger things next year."

Robinson, in bib 13, delivered an impressive first run on the firm, icy course, sitting in fifth equal with Italian ski racing superstar Federica Brignone. Robinson’s run one time was +1.63 off the decorated leader Mikaela Shiffrin of the USA.

To secure a podium finish Robinson knew she needed to find time advantages during her second run, putting the pedal down as she came out of the start gate. Robinson wasn’t the only athlete with this mentality today, with the women fighting it out for every split second of advantage.

"I was fifth after the first run, so that was a good start. I still thought I could ski a lot better, so I tried to step it up in the second run. It didn’t quite click together how I would have liked, but I think I showed some good skiing as we head into 2024."

Robinson finished in a very respectable ninth place, although was understandably looking for that podium finish in Lienz, as she does at every race she starts in.

Brignone had a blistering second run to sit in the leader's seat, but only until the unstoppable Shiffrin took the final run of the day, claiming the top spot by just -0.38. Brignone settled for second place, with current giant slalom Olympic Champion Sara Hector of Sweden rounding out the podium in third.

Lienz marked the final women’s giant slalom race of 2023.

"My goals going into the New Year are to win a Giant Slalom World Cup race and keep my Super G racing up and running and get back to some top results there too."

The women’s giant slalom programme will resume on the 6th of January 2024 with the Kranjska Gora Giant Slalom World Cup.