Brignone scopes out Birds of Prey course, ponders Vonn’s World Cup podium potential
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
BEAVER CREEK — Federica Brignone got a head start on her Birds of Prey scouting report this weekend.
The Italian superstar hung out with three teammates along the media corral fences in Red Tail Stadium during Sunday’s giant slalom, the third and final men’s race of the two-week World Cup extravaganza in Beaver Creek. The women’s World Cup circuit returns to the Birds of Prey course for the first time in a decade with a downhill on Saturday, Dec. 14, and a super-G on Sunday, Dec. 15.
“I’m really excited,” Brignone said. “Finally, we’re here.”
The Bernhard Russi-designed Birds of Prey downhill course has annually hosted men’s World Cup races since 1997. But the women have only skied the course once — a super-G World Cup on Dec. 7, 2011. Brignone has been to Beaver Creek before, however, placing 19th in the slalom at the 2015 world championships. She also was seventh in the giant slalom at the 2013 World Cup event at Beaver Creek, but has yet to do a speed race on the slope.
Prognosticating from the bottom while Thomas Tumler held on for his first World Cup win, Brignone cited two factors she thinks will come into play for the women next weekend.
“I think the altitude and the courage are going to make the difference because the slope looks really steep and tricky with all the bumps,” she said. “Just watching the men’s this weekend was an amazing show.”
Brignone said she’s been in the U.S. for the past four weeks. After winning the season-opening giant slalom on Oct. 26 in Soelden, Austria, the 34-year-old didn’t finish the GS in Killington and didn’t start the slalom the following day. When the World Cups in Tremblant, Canada, were canceled, the Italian team zipped over to Copper Mountain and has been training there ever since.
Brignone placed 14th and seventh in a pair of FIS downhills at Copper on Saturday and was fourth and second in two super-G races on Sunday. Lindsey Vonn officially resurrected her career at all four races, placing 24th and 27th in the downhills, and 24th and 19th in the super-G races. The Italian called Vonn’s comeback “amazing.”
“She has everything for her career. I think she came back because that’s the thing she wants to do,” Brignone said. “I hope she is having fun and happy and that’s great.”
Vonn has secured the necessary FIS points to rejoin the World Cup circuit, but has yet to disclose her next steps. Ski Racing reported that she is rumored to forerun the Birds of Prey races, meaning her return likely won’t be before the events in St. Moritz on Dec. 21-22.
“Today was a solid start and I had a blast being with my teammates again. While I’m sure people will speculate and say I’m not in top form because of the results, I disagree,” Vonn wrote on X after Saturday’s races. “This was training for me. I’m still testing equipment and getting back in the groove. This is only the beginning, and the way I’m skiing is more important than the times at this point. Now I have the FIS points to race World Cup, so that’s a successful day.”
When asked if she thinks Vonn could return to the podium, Brignone said she wasn’t sure.
“I don’t know. Who knows. She can do everything,” she said. “If she’s good physically and mentally, I think she can still ski fast. For sure maybe not from the beginning. Being five years away and she had a knee (injury), she had so many accidents. I think it’s going to take a little bit of time, but I don’t know. I think in this sport, you know, anything is possible.”
